Mana

by Tāme Iti

Iconic Māori activist, artist, and performer Tāme Iti shares his extraordinary life, defined by resistance, resilience, and rangatiratanga.

Mana. It's a big word. But what is it? Are you born with it, can you earn it, can it be taken away?

For more than five decades, Tāme Iti has stood at the heart of Aotearoa's struggle for indigenous rights. From land marches to performance art, police raids to prison cells, his voice has challenged New Zealand to reckon with its colonial legacy. Once branded as a dangerous and extreme activist, now hailed as a national treasure, Tāme has lived the contradictions and realities of standing with mana motuhake in a modern world.

After being silenced from speaking te reo Māori as a child, Tāme went on to champion its revitalisation. He discovered the power of protest and what it means to live with mana in a world that often tries to strip it away.

This is his kōrero of the road he walked and the people who joined him. The comrades, the supporters, and the ones who tried to take him out.

Mana is the story of a man who has never stopped challenging the status quo. It cements Tāme's place as one of Aotearoa's most iconic figures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2025

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

For New Zealanders, Tāme Iti needs little introduction. Prominent in advocating for Māori rights since the 1970s, he first came to my attention when he was put on trial on vague “terrorism” charges for activities in the vast Te Urewera forest. In his autobiography, Mana, Iti describes those events and successfully locates them in a wider narrative of how colonisation has not only impacted his own life, but also those of his Ngāi Tuhoe people and Māori in general. What could be a simple tale of how a young man from isolated Ruatoki studied as a painter and decorater, got involved in politics and activism, and now is an artist becomes something more when it is located in that wider narrative. Mana, detailing Iti’s long involvement in Māori activism from Ngā Tamatoa and the Land March in the 1970s to the trumped up charges that landed him in jail is a necessary first person account of an important period in New Zealand history. This is what makes Mana such a compelling read.

As well as the discussion of one man’s journey through a colonised world, I appreciated the way Iti introduced the art and performance he has undertaken in recent years as an extension of his activism. There is certainly room for a more detailed history looking at the role of performance and art in the Māori rights movement.

I also want to comment on the production of this book. Mana has the look and feel of a coffee table book and is an appropriate showcase of the art and stories contained inside, upholding the mana of Iti.

Recommended

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. The audio version read by Tāme’s son is worthwhile listening to.

[Sarah Hjertquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Te pono hoki o tēnei pukapuka haurongo! Auē, te whai, te whakaaro me te ora katoa o Tàme Iti.
Tēnā rawa atu koe, Tāme: ehara koe i a ia - he tamarahi pāriri ki te ao Māori.

and that last chapter.. auē - i tangi, i tangi, i hotuhotu au 😪😪😪

Ka whawhai tonu mātou. Ake, ake, ake!

[Melissa Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a history of activism and resistance, woven through Iti’s own life story. It is also a deeply human account of Aotearoa - its struggles, its silences, and its reckonings.

From the Urewera raids to decades of protest, this book carries enormous weight, and it does so with clarity and generosity.

I borrowed this from the library, but I already know I need a copy for my shelves. It’s a beautiful book - thoughtfully designed, filled with powerful photographs, and enriched by the use of te reo throughout.

That alone feels important. Necessary.

But it’s the wisdom that hits you. The sharing of history that too many New Zealanders still don’t know, or don’t know well enough.

Honestly, this should be compulsory reading.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but toward the end, when Iti reflects on the recent Toitū Te Tiriti march, I found myself in tears. It’s a moment of such quiet power - connecting past and present, struggle and hope.

This is a book to sit with. To return to. To learn from.

Highly, highly recommended.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

soooo glad my ignorance and internalised racism towards Tāme has come off over the last few years

growing up the footage of him shooting the NZ flag made me basically hate the guy, even at like 8 years old, then the raids cemented his reputation for me at like 11. plus seeing his mataora added another level to my racism

even today seeing that shot in the book triggered something in me (good pun huh), even though now I get and agree with the sentiment, as well as basically everything he's done and does

so much I learned about him from the book, somehow didn't even know about him the artist - incredible paintings and sculptures even just in the book, can't wait to see them in person

very easy to read too - straight-forward, fast yet expansive, and the te reo is an added bonus for me. I hooned it in a couple days

hope there's a paperback version on the way - put me first on the preorder!!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up I remember reports of Tāme Iti in the news for various reasons which I didn't understand back then. But the overall impression my young Pākehā mind formed was that he was a trouble maker. As I grew up and learned more about the history of colonization in this country my perspective of him of course changed. Until I read Mana I had no idea though that he was him and other Ngā Tamatoa that instigated the Land March of 1975 or the tent embassy.

Tāme Iti is a man who has confronted and admits to his demons. He's a leader and an artist. Last year at Waitangi I saw him heckling David Seymour (which I could easily have joined in with) but in Mana he talks about how we shouldn't expect those at the top to lead the way, and it needs to come from the flaxroots. E hikoi tonu ana ia i tēnei kaupapa!

[Jonathan Shephard · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not often that an autobiography can evoke so much emotion in so few words.
This book is so incredibly well written and readers can really hear Tāme through the text.
A compelling account of a truly incredible and inspiring life. He is not perfect and is open and honest about his failings in life too. A picture is painted of a man dedicated to fighting for what he believes in but also developing personally how he does this and understanding his own weaknesses.

Genuinely inspiring read, would encourage all people in Aotearoa to consider this an important historic text. I don’t often feel the need to write a review but this book was impactful enough to warrant it.

[Sophie Rattanong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs, and Mana isn't a good example of the genre. Tāme Iti has led an interesting life, but there's no depth to what he says. He'll touch on events briefly, before moving on to something else. 292 pages, but half of it is images.

[Daria Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating - I learned a tonne of stuff I didn't know about Tame Iti and Tuhoe, and now have a different perspective to consider what I thought I knew about a number of events in Aotearoa's history.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ataahua te rongo ki a matua Tame e kōrero ana I tōnā ake kōrero. Mai I tētahi e rangatahi te ahua ki a ia te rawe hoki te ako i nga hītori mo nga momo mahi I a ia rātou ko Nga Tamatoa mo te mana motuhake o te iwi Māori. Nei ra te tuku mihi aroha ki a koe matua!

[Emelie Kaukas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read !