Captured within the book's pages are historical and topical narratives from tangata whenua giving different perspectives of their dual heritage and hopes for the future.
Hetaraka said around 16 portraits of tangata whenua filled the book and were taken by Stoppard during Tuia 250 in 2019.
Tuia 250 commemorated 250 years since the first onshore meetings between Māori and Pākehā. It also celebrated the voyaging heritage of Pacific people that led to the settlement of Aotearoa many generations before.
Hihiaua was the focal point of Tuia 250 in Whangārei, where crews were welcomed with a mass haka performed by school students lining the Onerahi foreshore.
The publication of Me Anga Whakamua - Facing the Future was supported by Te Au Marie Trust as a Tuia 250 legacy project.
"The book is very much the Māori voice – our stories, our history, and our aspirations for the future – but as most people who've read it say, it's for all New Zealanders," Hetaraka said.
"It's come at a crucial time for New Zealand. People are trying to divide us when in fact the Tuia is binding us together and has been an ongoing process for 252 years now."
The exhibition offers a different exploration in the form of traditional whakairo (carving), raranga (plaiting) as well as video interviews with the tangata whenua captured during Tuia 250, photography, prints, pottery and jewellery.
Both aligned with Hihiaua's commitment to restoring Māori identity in Whangārei, Hetaraka said.
"Books are very much a part of our culture...and the beautiful, beautiful things people have created for the exhibition are just inspirational and speak to our culture."
Me Anga Whakamua - Facing the Future is available for purchase exclusively from the Hihiaua Cultural Centre, with the proceeds used to help raise funds for the centre's planned stage two development.
