ROSA WOODS/STUFF
Mike Kawana, Rangitāne o Wairarapa kaumātua, talks about the impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic experience on his whānau.
The supernatural concept of taniwha has always held a significant place within Māori culture. The mere mention of the term conjures up stereotypical images of reptilian, fire-breathing dragons who could often be found lurking in watery lairs or caves or deep forests - places where humans dare not tread. More than a century before Covid-19 turned the world upside down, the unfamiliar, yet merciless taniwha of influenza threatened the future of Te Ore Ore Marae, near Masterton.