These photos were taken in Tāhuna, Te Waiponamu. I would like to acknowledge and give thanks to the whenua of the Ngā Tahu iwi and their hapu, Kāti Kurī, Ngāti Irakehu, Kāti Huirapa, Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki.
The paired photos of whenua with and without my body represent the complexities of belonging and identity as a Pākehā woman. Performance and trace take place, where my body is trying to assimilate into the landscape. The indigenous land stand alone without the presence of my body is no longer performative and the complexities of home/land fall away.