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IP Wānanga - Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
We welcome you to a wānanga that unpacks the foundations ofintellectual property through both legal and tikanga Māori landscapes. Wewill explore the concept of story sovereignty and discover practical ways toprotect your cultural expressions from their earliest beginnings through tocontracts, collaborations, and future opportunities. In the growing world ofartificial intelligence, we’ll also examine how intellectual property can beused not only as a legal tool, but as a pathway for creatives to maintain tinorangatiratanga over their taonga katoa. Facilitated by Māori creatives andlawyers Hariata Moriarty and Jorja Heta with guest speaker, leading expert onindigenous intellectual property rights and Tumuaki of Kāhui Legal, LynellTuffery Huria, this will be a dynamic session where law and artintersect.Whether you're an artist, filmmaker, writer, performer or simplypassionate about knowing more, this wānanga will inspire meaningful kōrero,build practical knowledge, and empower you to confidently protect the storiesthat shape who we are.
IP Wānanga - Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Wednesday, 19 August
6-8:30pm
Location TBC
Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/ip-wananga-te-whanganui-a-tara
Please note, allattendees must be Ngā Aho Whakaari members (sign up, it's free!)
About Jorja Heta
Jorja Heta(Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri) is a lawyer, poet, screenwriter and humanrights policy advisor/analyst driven by an ethos of social justice and truth.Her creative works explore Māori identity, spirituality and the lived realitiesof wāhine māori. She is the first in her whānau to attend University and holdsa Bachelor of Laws and Arts from the University of Auckland (admitted to theHigh Court in 2025). Jorja has worked for Amnesty International Aotearoa,leading research submissions on Government Bills, briefing internationaldiplomats and writing national reports on the justice system. She received the2024/25 Prime Minister’s Scholarship, during which she provided commerciallegal services in Thailand. In Aotearoa, Jorja has provided legal aid forWaitangi Tribunal claims and facilitated social justice wānanga at Parliament,centring the voices of those with lived experience of incarceration. She hasundertaken research positions examining intellectual property in NZ and isinterested in developing legal frameworks that preserve taonga katoa guided bytikanga.
Passionate aboutMāori storytelling, Jorja has been published in Māori journals Pūhia and AwaWāhine, and most recently co-wrote the short film Kikokiko, directedand written by Matariki Bennett and produced by Hariata Moriarty, whichreceived the 2025 New Zealand Film Commission He Kauahi Catalyst Funding. Sheis the current Tuia recipient for Wellington City Council, a mentoringprogramme that supports young Māori in developing their leadership skills andcontributing to their communities. She hopes to continue blending hercreative expression and legal pūkenga to serve communities and empower manamotuhake of iwi, hapū and whānau.
About Hariata Moriarty
Hariata Moriarty(Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, Ngā Puhi) isan actor, writer and producer whose practice is grounded in the Theatre Maraeframework of Te Rākau. Raised within this kaupapa, she grew up immersed in amodel of theatre as both creative expression and community transformation. Forseven years, her whānau opened their home to rangatahi from CYFS (now OrangaTamariki), where she witnessed firsthand the healing power of storytelling andits capacity to strengthen identity, connection and social change and has sincededicated her practice to kaupapa Māori storytelling.
With nearly twodecades of experience across stage and screen, Hariata has established herselfas a versatile performer. She is the co-creator and performer of the acclaimedtheatre work Waenga, developed alongside her brother Tamati Moriarty. Onscreen, she has appeared in Cousins, Red, White and Brass, Belief, Te Kohu andUntold Tales of Tuteremoana, spanning both independent and large-scaleproductions. She has recently appeared in the solo production Not in OurNeighbourhood at Circa Theatre produced by Taki Rua.
Hariata is alsoco-founder of Hurō Productions, a whānau-led company dedicated to championingMāori storytelling. Most recently, she produced and acted in Kikokiko, directedby Matariki Bennett and written by Bennett and Jorja Heta, with producer JaneHolland.
Alongside herartistic practice, Hariata holds a Bachelor of Laws and is completing a Masterof Māori Laws and Philosophy through Te Wānanga o Raukawa. She isparticularly passionate about intellectual property and the protection of Māoritaonga through stage and screen, exploring how creative practice and legalframeworks can work together to uphold cultural integrity. Guided by Te AoWairua, she views storytelling as a vehicle for cultural preservation, knowledgesharing and social change, creating work that centres kaupapa Māori values andresonates with audiences both in Aotearoa and internationally.
Ngā Aho Whakaari Nominees – AGM Nov 2025
When nominations were first published there were five candidates. Subsequently one candidate has withdrawn. Therefore there are now four candidates.
Rongotai Lomas is a multidisciplinary Māori artist and filmmaker whose work bridges traditional storytelling and contemporary creative technologies. Having directed and edited music videos for artists such as Che-Fu, House of Shem, Dam Native, and Upper Hutt Posse, and worked alongside leading filmmakers including Merata Mita, Geoff Murphy, and Heather Rae, Rongotai brings a deep understanding of both the artistic and cultural dimensions of screen storytelling. Holding a Master of Visual Arts, his practice, under Whare Te Ao – The House of Light, fuses fine arts, Māori culture, film, and digital innovation to create works that celebrate Māori identity and ignite new forms of creative expression.
If elected to the board of Ngā Aho Whakaari, Rongotai aims to contribute his experience in filmmaking, transmedia storytelling, and creative entrepreneurship to help advance opportunities for Māori storytellers in the screen sector. His vision is to support the next generation of Māori artists by fostering authentic representation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the integration of emerging technologies such as AI and animation into Māori storytelling traditions.
I am a proud Māori filmmaker, director–producer, and storyteller with more than two decades of experience leading large-scale productions across Aotearoa and the world. My work spans television, documentary, and digital storytelling — from local kaupapa-driven series to global franchises — and I have collaborated with every major production company in New Zealand, as well as international partners in the UK, UAE, and the United States.
As both a creative and an executive leader, I have navigated the complexities of cultural representation within mainstream and global markets. My experience has sharpened my understanding of the systemic gaps and cultural safeguards needed to better uphold mana Māori within the screen industry. I bring strong governance sensibilities, strategic thinking, and a deep commitment to ensuring Māori voices are authentically represented and protected at every level of production — from concept to distribution.
Standing for election to the board of Ngā Aho Whakaari is an opportunity for me to contribute to the kaupapa by championing Māori creative autonomy, equitable pathways for emerging practitioners, and robust cultural frameworks that future-proof our stories and practitioners.
Mai i te moana ki te rangi, ki te wheiao, ki te ao marama. Tihei Mauri Ora!
Ngā Aho Whakaari brings together a mix of passionate, talented, and occasionally chaotic Māori creatives — all driven by a shared belief in the power of our stories. The legacy of our hapori is why I return.
Having served as both a Board Member and Executive Director, I understand the rhythm and reality of this kaupapa — the need for strong governance, fresh ideas, and plenty of good humour to keep things moving. I’m standing to help strengthen our representation across the wider screen industry, support emerging practitioners, and champion innovation that leads to economic and cultural impact.
Working independently through Table 1 Ltd, we have been advancing Te Kāpehu Auaha — a creative philosophy that applies Māori values to collaboration, innovation, and industry change. As a Film Bay of Plenty Board member and contributor to commissioning at RNZ and Whakaata Māori, I’m focused on strengthening Indigenous-led storytelling and connecting our hapori to new creative and global opportunities.
I’m keen to contribute where it counts: connecting strategy to action, creativity to sustainability, and ensuring Māori continue to set the tone — not just in the industry, but in how we imagine what’s next.
I am a freelance editor, field director, and a fluent speaker of te reo Māori, with more than 25 years of experience in the television industry. Over the course of my career, I have built extensive expertise across documentary, reality, children’s, and magazine-style genres. My editing credits include Police Ten 7 (TVNZ), Moving Out with Kanoa (Three), and numerous productions for Whakaata Māori. Recent projects include Ariki (Season 4) and Hīkina Te Manuka.
I currently serve as Vice President of the Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ), where I have been an active board member for the past four years, including the last two in the Vice President role. My motivation for joining the Ngā Aho Whakaari Board is to ensure that the post-production sector is well represented, and to advocate for the unique perspectives, challenges, and contributions of those working within this area of our industry.
Beyond my screen work, I am deeply involved in kapa haka. Since 2005, I have served as stage manager for the Tāmaki Primary Schools Regionals, the Secondary Schools Māori Stage at ASB Polyfest, and the Te Ahurea Tino Rangatiratanga competitions. I am also currently Co-Event Manager for the Tāmaki Makaurau Senior Kapa Haka Society.