Finding Anika’s Whakapapa: David Phillips’ Hidden Whānau | My Family Mystery | S1 E2

A single message. A missing father. And a whakapapa Anika has dreamed of knowing her whole life. What we uncover changes everything — and opens a second mystery no one saw coming. We follow Anika’s courageous search for her dad, David Phillips, from a slim lead on social media to a twist that redefines her journey. With careful outreach and cultural respect, she meets her uncle Ricardo and finally hears the iwi and awa she’s been longing to claim. Then, a century-old puzzle: orphaned WWI medals engraved to Joseph Jones and Joseph Taylor, men from Stockport who fought for New Zealand and left a trail through Mount Wellington, Public Trust files, and a Nelson expert’s archives. How did these medals end up in Finn’s family — and who should hold them now? Watch as hidden links surface, whānau open their arms, and lost history is returned to descendants. The answers matter more than anyone imagined — and one handover in the Hall of Memories says it all. Stay to the end. #MyFamilyMystery #whakapapa #Maori #NewZealand #familyhistory #genealogy #warhistory