Hikoi: Snapping at their heels...

Ans Westra in the thick of the hikoi. Photo / Richard Robinson

Photographer Ans Westra has been documenting Maori social history for nearly 50 years, beginning with 1964's Washday at the Pa. Controversial at the time among Maori who wondered how they would be judged, it documented how large rural Maori families lived.

She has been to Waitangi many times and captured the 1975 land march and the 2004 foreshore and seabed hikoi.

Yesterday, the 73-year-old was again in the thick of the action. A little stooped, with greying hair, Westra walked at the front of the hikoi, getting wet, and snapping pictures with an old Rolleiflex twin lens reflex camera. The Herald spoke to her as she followed the march.

"I've flown up especially from Wellington for this. I'm here for the hikoi, and to take pictures for the last of my books, ha ha. Maybe then I'll stop.

"I've been doing this for a long time now and there's still that difference between Maori and Pakeha, how they know each other.

"But even though Pakeha were outnumbered by Maori [marching in the hikoi] we were made to feel very welcome.

"That's a good thing. I'm glad I'm here. I'll probably take 100 pictures today."