Te Tiriti o Waitangi — Nine Lives
Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k7Njs85fmM
One of many stories of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Visit He Tohu to see and hear more of these stories.
Transcript
Visual
A black, white and grey sketched depiction of a cat bounding across grass in front of rudimentary-looking wooden houses and clothes lines.
Audio
They say a cat has nine lives. The same could be said for the Treaty of Waitangi.
Visual
Front paw raised, the cat looks up at the wooden front door of a house. Inside, a man lies on a bed, covered in a blanket.
Audio
Queen Street, 1842, downtown Auckland.
Visual
A pair of boots sit by the man’s bed, which is next to a set of shelves and a cast iron potbelly fire.
Audio
Records clerk George Elliott lay sleeping in his cottage when suddenly he was awoken by screams and roars that splintered the break of dawn.
Visual
Bearded George sits up in bed and pulls on his boots.
Audio
Smoke curled under his door, snaking towards him.
Coughing and stumbling, eyes stinging from the smoke, he flung the door wide. What a sight. Fire raged through the town. Tongues of flame danced from house to house, devouring buildings whole.
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Red, yellow and orange flames engulf buildings and lick the gutters and roofs of houses further up the street, where people are hunched over on their knees.
Audio
The Treaty!
Visual
Eyes wide, George stands in the middle of the street, his hand held to his face.
Audio
George covered his face in cloth and dashed into the burning office where the Treaty was kept, frantically searching for the document.
Visual
Having kicked down the door, George shields his head, then rapidly pushes aside piles of handwritten pieces of paper to reveal a large scroll buried underneath.
Audio
There! He swept the scrolls into his arms and sprinted for the door.
Visual
George runs away from the burning two-storeyed building.
Audio
With a great shudder, the building collapsed.
George fell back, gasping for air, but clasped safely in his arms was the Treaty.
Visual
Having sunk to his knees, George lies on his back in the middle of the street. The cat observes him as it moves past.
Audio
This is one of many stories of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Come and learn how it survived flames, rats and war to be with us today, at He Tohu.
Visual
The turquoise, orange and purple painted logo of He Tohu. A declaration, a treaty, a petition. Hashtag He Tohu. National Library, Wellington. (No documents of national importance were harmed in the making of the animation.) The logo for the New Zealand Government.
Credits
Developed in partnership with the Department of Internal Affairs.
Creative concept - Ogilvy New Zealand
Animation - YukFoo
Voiceover - Sebastian Blair
Music - Al Fraser and Ariana Tikao
Any errors with the transcript, let us know and we'll fix them digital-services@dia.govt.nz
