For the past 150 years, the relationship between Tuhoe and the New Zealand government has been defined by longstanding grievances over severe colonization experiences such as illegal land confiscations and the devastating consequences of scorched earth policies. Then, in 2014 history was made: Tuhoe’s ancestral homelands were returned, the New Zealand government gave an official apology, and Tuhoe built the first ever “Living Building” in New Zealand, conceived as a testament to their values and vision of self-governance.

The new building is the binding character in this observational documentary that immerses us in a culture that is tightly woven into its land and an architecture that is defined by its integrity to it.