Witarina Harris | |
|---|---|
| Born | Witarina Te Miriarangi Parewahaika Mitchell 15 May 1906 |
| Died | 10 June 2007 (aged 101) Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Burial place | Kauae Cemetery, Ngongotahā |
| Occupation(s) | Entertainer, film actress, language advocate, public servant |
| Notable work | Under the Southern Cross |
| Spouse |
Howard Reginald Harris
(m. 1932; died 1979) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Rotohiko Tangonui Haupapa (grandfather) |
Witarina Te Miriarangi Parewahaika Harris QSM (née Mitchell; 15 May 1906 – 10 June 2007) was a New Zealand film actress, Māori language advocate, entertainer and public servant. She featured in the 1929 Universal Pictures silent film Under the Southern Cross as the heroine Princess Miro in her only film credit.
Harris worked for politician Āpirana Ngata as a secretary and helped to establish Wellington's Ngāti Pōneke Young Maori Club as a recreational and educational club for Māori people and the Māori Women's Welfare League. Late in her life, she promoted Māori cinema around the world and a documentary and film about her were broadcast.