Protest Tautohetohe: Objects of Resistance, Persistence and Defiance

by Stephanie Gibson (Editor), Matariki Williams (Editor), Puawai Cairns (Editor)

For a small, peaceful democracy in the South Pacific, New Zealand has had its fair share of major protest issues, and over the decades New Zealanders have become adept at mobilising around causes. This richly illustrated book brings together the objects made by protesters to proclaim and symbolise their causes and their struggles. It is a vivid reflection of 250 years of resistance and persistence

Genres: Nonfiction

415 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Bryce Galloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels like a bit of a chore reading this book cover to cover, but perhaps that’s not what this book was designed for. Is this a coffee table book? Flick through the beautiful photographs looking at the distressed patina of rusty badges, protest banners, slogan tee shirts, a riot helmet or two… Land on an image of interest and read a little about its provenance? It’s worth knowing who made each artefact, their affiliations, how they made it, and where the artefact saw action, but too many of these annotations also repeat redundant platitudes about the efficacy of the type of artefact in question. Another problem is, the issues that these artefacts of protest are addressing feel way too urgent for a coffee table browser: South African apartheid, nuclear testing, colonial land confiscations etc etc. The inclusion of short personal essays about various hikoi, protests and protest groups adds some welcome weight.