Tāme Iti on Celebrity Treasure Island, a life with no regrets, veganism, his legacy and why he said yes to reality TV – NZ Herald

Tāme Iti’s shock casting on Celebrity Treasure Island is arguably his – and New Zealand reality TV’s – most jaw-dropping move in recent years.

Most would agree it’s not unfair to say Iti, Ngāi Tūhoe, is a polarising political character.

An activist, artist, actor and social worker, Iti rose to prominence as a member of the protest group Ngā Tamatoa in the 1970s, becoming a key figure of the Māori Renaissance.

In 2005 Iti fired a shotgun into a flag, an act he explained was a reference to the 1860s East Cape War. “We wanted them to feel the heat and smoke, and Tūhoe outrage and disgust at the way we have been treated for 200 years,” he said at the time.

He was later imprisoned on six firearms charges stemming from police’s Urewera raids in 2007, but was released on parole after serving nine months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence. Prison staff described him as a “role model prisoner” and Iti said he enjoyed his time inside, working as a mechanic and honing his craft in art and literature.

Since then, Iti has become renowned for that art as well as his activism.

So who is Iti in 2023? Does he live with any regrets for actions of the past? What milestone does he hope he’s remembered for? And what on earth made him say yes to Celebrity Treasure Island?

‘I will not make any apologies’

Make no mistake, a now 71-year-old Iti, calm in demeanour and humble in appearance, has no regrets about anything in his past.

“I will not make any apologies or no regrets of the stuff and the action that I have done over the years. In the war – we as a movement of Ngā Tamatoa, the anti-apartheid movement, the anti-Vietnam war, all of that,” he says.

Iti remains true to the belief in the importance of his stance, no matter how it’s communicated.

“That voice that needs to be heard, through arts, music, theatre. And to share some of those concerns that we do have – I think it’s really important for us to continue to do that.”

With the magnitude of what he’s achieved and taken a stand for over the years, it might seem hard to pinpoint his proudest moment. But for Iti, his biggest success story is simple – it’s his whānau and the path he’s paved for them.

“I guess the proudest moment for me, is seeing the next generation coming up and having that voice. I’m just amazed by my 40, 50-year-old mokopuna. I just shake my head and said, ‘Wow’.”

Iti, who in 2022 created a public art installation, “I Will Not Speak Māori” – a phrase he says he was forced to write hundreds of times in school – takes great pride in his advocacy of the Māori language.

“I think those are the proud moments – all the work we have done over the years to promote te reo. And to have that voice – the outcome of that is really Te Kura Kaupapa Māori,” Iti says, referencing Māori-language immersion schools.

When it comes to his wish that people of all skin colours and races embrace te reo in Aotearoa, Iti says he has hope. “You know, we’re not expecting people to learn fully – it’d be really good. But there is hope there.”

‘There have been many, many challenges’

So is Aotearoa taking the right steps? Are we heading toward a future where Māori language isn’t cause for generational and political divide – highlighted in the wake of bilingual road sign updates and prime-time viewer complaints?

According to Iti, the key to creating real and lasting change is getting rid of the metaphorical “layers” built up over the years – something he admits he too has had to do.

“There have been many, many challenges. By us. About us. And not just to the system, but to ourselves. And we don’t really need to be dependent on the system for us to be able to engage and liberate ourselves. But we need to be open-minded about that.

“We have to let go of those layers, whatever those layers are. I too had to let go of some of those layers in order for me to kind of move forward. Otherwise, we tend to suppress a lot of stuff there in our puku. So we let it go, breathe, and let it go slowly,” Iti says, demonstrating the breathing exercise, one hand on his stomach.

“The enemy is not blue eyes, nor blonde hair. The enemy [is] internally within ourselves,” he continues.

“We had 200 years of colonisation. But we should be and we can communicate and respect each other’s different views on it. We don’t all have to agree to it.”

‘I am not the person they talk about’

Given the reputation built up over decades, which no doubt precedes Iti, how does he deal with what people think they know about him? Well, he’s simply learned to tune it out.

“Well, it’s propaganda, it’s the media stuff. It’s the media that kind of portrays that element,” he shares. “It’s not me talking, it’s the way that particular writer writes about you.”

But he’s hopeful that people are beginning to see the true Tāme Iti. “I think people finally start to see, that actually, I am not the person they talk about.”

And a starring role on Celebrity Treasure Island might just be the perfect way for people to educate themselves on the activist.

He’s absolutely up for the challenge, with the vegan of six years admitting he’s in better shape now than he was 10 years ago.

“It’s good for me [veganism]. I’m in better condition now in my seventies than I was in my sixties. So it works for me,” he notes, adding that the diet helps him manage his diabetes.

He will be the first one to put his hand up to catch the fish for his fellow castaways. He won’t be eating it, “but I can live on the smell of it”, he laughs.

‘We’re here to kick ass’

But what made him say yes to the show that’s notorious for showing a darker side of much-loved Kiwi celebs?

“My kids asked me and they convinced me. But what really brought me here was the concept and the idea to raise some funds for a kaupapa that is dear to my heart.” Iti’s chosen charity is I am Hope, founded by friend Mike King, which raises funds for mental health services.

“It also resonates with me in a way that my family, you know, nephews, niece that have been through that and are no longer here,” he shares.

So does he have a game plan? And could he win the whole thing?

“I mean, we’re here to kick ass. You know, it’s fun, but we’re also serious about it – I’m here to win.”

But don’t expect to see Iti stepping on anyone’s toes. Instead, he admits he enjoys being “in the background” and raising others up.

“I like to work from the back and share from that. So I’m the kaumātua, I sit at the back. You go there, and I’ll help you navigate.”

Iti is also incredibly perceptive, pinpointing anxious teammates and making plans to assist them along.

“I think we can assist some of them and just build that illusion and regain their mana and their power. We can do it because you’re not alone in this, I think working collectively is a really good thing for us.”

‘I could produce something out of this experience’

So with a life as colourful as Iti’s, what could possibly be next once his hypothetical island torch is extinguished?

Iti shares he’s got some big projects on the cards as well as plenty of travel, including dashing to Australia, a possible political trip to China and maybe even an art trip to Cuba. The country is a place he holds dear, showing off an intricate tattoo he bears of former Cuban President Fidel Castro surrounded by a huge puff of smoke.

But it turns out it might just be Aotearoa’s favourite survival game that’s his next surprise inspiration.

“I might even paint something about it [Celebrity Treasure Island]. And paint those experiences. I’m not too sure what that is. I could produce something out of this experience and share those magical moments.”

Jenni Mortimer is the New Zealand Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment editor. Jenni started at the Herald in 2017 and previously worked as an education publication editor. She’s also the host of The Herald’s parenting podcast One Day You’ll Thank Me, mum to Knox and Celebrity Treasure Island aficionado.