Abstract
Adopted at birth and brought up Pakeha, I discovered as an adult that I have Ngai Tahu tupuna (ancestors). Adoptees seek birth kin and stories to try to fill the gaps and absences that haunt us, so I undertook my roots journey, travelling three times to Riverton/Aparima, where my ancestors had lived, taking my video camera. In this article I describe how initially I did not find the belonging I was looking for, but through my creative practice of filmmaking, and the three short videos I made, I did connect to place, and began making a new history for myself.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 75-88 |
| Journal | Journal of New Zealand Studies |
| Issue number | NS29 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Dec 2019 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- adoption
- Maori
- creative practice research
- filmmaking
- belonging
- identity