‘MāoriGirl’ is a role-playing platformer video game that reinvents the story of Hinetītama / Hinenuitepō, the story of the woman who became the goddess of death in Māori mythology. The game ‘MaoriGrl’ serves as a visual reference to this story, with bright colours, a nostalgic wide-screen format, and abstract landscapes to create a naïve atmosphere in the game’s world– a stark contrast to the realities of Hinenuitepo’s purpose in embracing the deceased. The name of the game itself is derived from ‘Hine, E Hine’, the title of my mum’s PhD thesis, in which she researched different Maori goddesses from pre-colonial times and sought to further support a spiritual connection back to these atua wahine.

With the ability to give life as Hinetītama and take life as Hinenuitepō, Hinenuitepō's narrative has been twisted over time and misunderstood by many. According to Best[1] “trouble, misfortune, death emnate from the female element” as a result of the “contention between Maui and Hinenuitepō”. Through telling Hinenuitepō’s story in this video game, I plan to bring her story to life in a way that is accessible and engaging to a younger audience who may be unfamiliar with Hinenuitepō’s story, as well as older generations who have missed out on learning about atua wāhine.

The installation itself is an attempt to put the viewer in the realm of the ‘MāoriGirl’, with a minimal set up to put the focus on the game itself. To engage with the game, the audience must assume the position of a child – sitting on a mat, amongst a whare/fort with sheets draped everywhere, playing video games - much like the girl like in ‘MāoriGrl’ would.

[1] Yates-Smith (1998), ‘Hine! E Hine! Rediscovering the feminine in Maori spirituality’, pg142