Watch: Moana Jackson – Portrait of a Quiet Revolutionary
NZ Herald and E-Tangata with support from NZ on Air recently released a stunning documentary on the late Moana Jackson – Portrait of a Quiet Revolutionary.
Created by Moana Maniapoto & Toby Mills over the last 2 years, the documentary is accompanied by a beautiful article by Moana Maniapoto about the documentary process.
‘Maybe we should have called it “Portrait of a Reluctant Revolutionary”. Two years ago, I asked Moana Jackson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) if he would consider my partner, Toby Mills, and me making a documentary about him. He wasn’t exactly champing at the bit. Moana said he was “really whakamā about that kind of thing”.’
Five things you should know about Moana Jackson (1945-2022)
- He wrote He Whaipaanga Hou (Report on Māori and the Criminal Justice System) in 1988, still considered the most influential work on this issue after 35 years.
- He led an indigenous peoples working group that drafted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- He has been one of the leading voices for decades calling for constitutional transformation, including various forms of Māori self-government.
- He was the brother of unionist and activist Syd Jackson and the uncle of Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson.
- He coached a schoolboy rugby team while protesting against the apartheid-era Springbok Tour in 1981.
Portrait of a Quiet Revolutionary catalogues his career, whānau, advocacy and hopes for the future. We highly recommend a read of the article and a watch of the documentary, both of which can be accessed here.