Brings to life the incredible stories of devastation, loss and hope that accompanied the arrival of the musket to the shores of Aotearoa.
It's the early 1820s, The northern tribes have muskets from the white man. They begin to invade other tribes and eventually, one of them Hauraki, arrives in Te Arawa. The sacred portal Te Roto a Tara falls from the hands of chief Pareihe.
Ngāpuhi decimate Te Arawa at Mokoia Island. Te Aokapurangi, the sacred female, saves her people of Ngāti Rangiwewehi. Te Kuru o Te Marama, son of Te Arawa chief Mokonuiārangi, is tortured to death.
Whareumu leads Te Wera Hauraki and his warriors to his tribe of Kahungunu. Te Heuheu marches further into Kahungunu killing Te Hauwaho. The alliance of Taiamai and Mahia hangs together.
Whareumu and Tahu return to their home village, from where they were taken by Hauraki. Te Heuheu of Tūwharetoa lays siege to the pā to starve them out. Te Arawa chief Mokonuiārangi taunts Hauraki over the massacre at Mokoia. The besieged people eat mud to survive.
The war between Pareihe of Kahungunu and Te Heuheu of Tūwharetoa rages on for many years. Pareihe, fully armed with muskets, attacks and captures Te Heuheu at his stronghold in heartland Tūwharetoa. Te Heuheu, a seer, forsees his own death in a landslide. He makes peace with Pareihe, cementing it with marriage to a mokopuna.
Pareihe, Te Hapuku and Tiakitai have built an army and, with revenge on their minds, they return to Te Roto-a-Tara. Hihiko and Tarakawa’s kinship is threatened.