Media Releases

From visionary director Katie Wolfe comes an unflinching documentary of a forgotten history retold from every side

Released at 3:00 pm on 7 July 2025

In a black-and-white photograph, a group of University of Auckland engineering students are gather while wearing odd hats and mock Māori piupiu. They have offensive, Māori-related terms written on their bodies. To the left of the image, in yellow font, reads: "The Haka Party Incident."

Photo: RNZ

On 1 May 1979, a group of young Māori and Pasifika activists, He Taua, confronted a gathering of University of Auckland engineering students as they rehearsed a ‘mock’ haka for their annual capping stunt. The fracas that followed prompted the nation to confront systemic racism and begin to make change for a better and more equal partnership between Pākehā and Māori.

Just added to rnz.co.nz/video The Haka Party Incident continues the conversation started in 1979 and reinvigorated by Katie Wolfe in her verbatim stage play of the same name that toured nationally in 2023 to sold out performances.

She commented: “I first read about the incident in Ranginui Walker’s book Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou, the only New Zealand history book to mention what had remained a relatively hidden story in mainstream history. This confrontation was the perfect story to extend the focus of much of my work, the intersection between Māori and Pākehā. Haka is not only at the centre of the historic incident but forms the film’s structure.”

The film uses archival and contemporary interviews with people who were directly involved including: Ben Dalton, Hone Harawira, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Brent Meekan, David Merritt and Ian Gibson, along with guests including Dr Ranginui Walker and the late Mitzi Nairn, as they reflect on the significance and impact this had on shaping the contemporary relationship in Aotearoa between Māori and Pākehā.

RNZ’s Chief Content Officer Megan Whelan says being able to bring great local films to online audiences after their cinema screenings is exciting.

“This is an outstanding history documentary to add to our new video hub on rnz.co.nz. The film has been well received by cinema audiences, and we’re really pleased to be able to have it available for New Zealanders to stream online.”

The Haka Party Incident comes to RNZ following screenings at eight film festivals around the world and at cinemas across Aotearoa. The film is available to stream now at rnz.co.nz/video. Made with support from RNZ, New Zealand Film Commission, Tasman Ray, and Images and Sound.