A new play by Ngapuhi playwright Geoffrey Clendon explores the 1898 Hokianga conflict, when a dispute over a Dog Tax escalated into an armed confrontation between Te Māhurehure hapū and government forces.

Blending drama, comedy and history, Tāke Kurī: The Dog Tax Rebellion brings to life a dramatic chapter of Te Tai Tokerau history, a story of resistance, law, power and the fight to uphold mana, with themes that continue to resonate in Aotearoa today.

Set in the Hokianga township of Rawene, the play explores the events surrounding the introduction of the Dog Tax, which many Māori believed unfairly targeted their communities. The dispute escalated into an armed standoff between Te Māhurehure hapū and government forces, involving soldiers, police, politicians, naval ships and cannons.