Framed against ongoing negotiations with the Government, which culminated in the Crown’s historic apology and recent settlement, “Ever the Land” extols the resolute spirit of a people wounded by shameful acts of injustice, but persistent in preserving the integrity of land, culture and community. Grohnert had extensive access to hui, meetings, and the building site over 2 years, to observe the planning and construction of NZ’s first “living Building”, Te Wharehou o Tuhoe. This is a keenly observational sketch of NZ’s most fiercely independent tribe, the Tuhoe.