News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

Kia ora and welcome to the second interview in our series of interviews with local Māori musicians. Here we have an interview with local musician Karl Teariki, helping us to celebrate NZ music month by telling us all about his sweet sounds!

Would you like to introduce yourself?
I am from the tribe of Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Waka o Takitimu, growing up on my ancestral land known to our family as Maunga Kōhatu, but known these days as ‘Royshill’, Highway 50, 15 km south west of Hastings. My marae is Omahu and my hapū is Ngāti Hinemanu. On my father’s side, I also descend from Te Waka o Takitumu in Rarotonga, from the tribe Ngāti Raina with connections to Mauke, Tāhiti and Ra’iatea. Although I have lived in Wellington just over twenty years, I will always be from Heretaunga. The real one, not the one in Upper Hutt. I have worked on many kaupapa Māori albums starting with the iconic band Black Katz led by Ngātai Huata when I was 12 playing cello on the track Mahinaarangi.

What’s your musical background? What instruments do you play?
I first started on guitar when my Mum was getting classical guitar lessons from a well-known Hastings musician, the late James Baker, who was a session player from England, a lovely man and a great teacher. I used to sit in on her lessons after school when I was 6 years old, and I think I just soaked it up like a sponge as kids do. I started playing the pieces my Mum has learned by ear, and she taught me what she had learned. She says she stopped teaching me when I got better than her. A few years later I also learned classical cello from my teacher Alison Hansen, as well as continuing on guitar with Mr Baker, and later at high school with Dave Boston. When I was 15, guitar was definitely cooler, so I put the cello away and transferred what I had learned on the cello to electric guitar. Music has always been a creative outlet for me as has art and ‘The art of Tutu’, my number one passion. Tutu means basically to learn and explore through experimentation.

In what ways have you drawn on your Māori lineage for inspiration for your music?
I have always drawn on my heritage when it comes to composing, from my first release at the age of 17 with a grant from Puatatangi. It was called He Taonga, and combined what I had learned on classical guitar, and my mum and dad also performed on the title track He Taonga. My favourite track from that release was Whakakāhu, which means ‘to assume the form of a hawk’, and combined orchestral elements I composed and were performed on keyboard by my cousin Traci Tuimaseve. I am interested in using the thought processes and concepts handed down from the ancestors and translating those into modern genres for people to enjoy. That was the concept behind the release of PAO, which featured my sons Tangaroa and Te Manea. It was a 5 track EP made with funding from Te Mangai Paho. On that EP I created some Whakatauki, (Maori proverbs) that reflect how the ancestors formed thoughts from observing nature. For example, in the song Ko Te Reo (The Language),

Iti nei, iti nei,
ka hangaia e te manu
tōna kohanga.

Iti nei, iti nei,
ka tipu te pī,
ki te manu tīoriori.

Little by little,
the bird builds
their nest.

Little by little,
the fledgeling grows
into a beautiful songbird.

The thing with whakatauki is they can relate to many things, depending on how they are examined. This one could relate to learning or goal setting; a bird building its nest from little things. Learning is the same, each small thing learned is an achievement that build towards a bigger outcome. I guess themes in my work are to do with my heritage, and how that fits into the modern world. 

Where do you feel Māori music is at now?
I feel that Māori music is continually growing and evolving, depending on the generation that is carrying it. Each generation has its own preferences and tastes, like the word whakapapa which translates to genealogy. It literally means, ‘to become a layer’; each layer / generation has its responsibility to those before and after it.

What do you enjoy most about performing? Anything you don’t enjoy about it?
What I enjoy most about performing my music is to leave a thought or feeling with someone that they did not have previously. An idea can be shared with someone, without losing it.

Who are some of your favourite musicians? Is there anyone you look to for musical inspiration?
I have many favourites but for me it’s about how that piece of music can make me feel, regardless of the composer or genre. I appreciate music that is crafted, but then a three chord song can tell amazing stories. I prefer a music ’smorgasbord’ over ‘a la carte’ if that makes sense.

What are you working on at the moment?
I am currently working towards the second release from PAO, again featuring the vocals of my sons who will be 14 and 16 when we are finished. A couple of the songs are in English with the rest in Māori. They cover many themes from losing loved ones, returning home, heritage, heartbreak, tutu, and also covers a few favourite songs, including AEIOU written by Wī te Tau Huata in the 1950’s and sung by many a primary school student across the country.

If you could listen to just one song forever, what would it be?
That would probably be a song called Nemesis, by a group named Shriekback released in 1985. I like its weirdness and strangeness.

Are there any songs you’d like to cover?
I’d love to cover the following songs from a Polynesian / Māori perspective: UK black – Soul II Soul, Exodus – Bob Marley, Sing our own song – UB40. There are also many beautiful Māori songs I would love to cover one day.

Do you have any up-coming Wellington gigs we can get along to? Where can we find out more?
Get a free download:
PAO on soundcloud.

Karl Teariki on soundcloud.

Kia ora ano! You might remember, I promised some exciting things for NZ Music Month here on our he korero o te wa blog… and here goes! Local musician Matiu Te Huki very kindly answered some (okay, a lot of) questions for us, and told us all about his music and his inspirations. Check it out!

Would you like to introduce yourself?
Ko Kahungunu me Rangitane ki Wairarapa oku iwi.
I’m also of Italian, Irish, Scottish and English descent. I’m a dad, I teach kapahaka in kindys and schools and love dogs.

Where are you from? How long have you lived in Wellington for?
I’m from Masterton, lived in the South Island for a while and I’ve lived just north of Wellington in Raumati South, Kapiti Coast for 8 years now.

What’s your musical background? What instruments do you play?
Started as a child on the ukulele, then guitar, sang my way through school in choirs and kapahaka groups. My voice is my main instrument and the guitar is the instrument I play to accompany my voice and to compose music with.

How did you learn? What made you want to learn?
A lovely old man called Pop Joe taught me to play for a couple years (from 10-12 years of age), I’ve been bluffing it ever since. I’m still learning. I learnt guitar because I love music so much and it’s easy to carry around.

In what ways have you drawn on your Māori lineage for inspiration for your music?
I really got into singing at Hato Paora Maori boys college. It gave me a real sense of identity and pride to stand and sing, especially in my native tongue. I still write songs in Maori and use haka, chants and traditional instruments in my music, more than ever now actually.

Are there any themes in your work? What are some of those?
My main themes are about revolution. Internal (evolving, loving oneself, letting go of fear etc) and external (Learning what’s really going on in the world, loving one another and standing up for our rights together…while we still have them).

Where do you feel Māori music is at now?
I feel it is under-appreciated in this country by the music industry. In saying that, a lot of people are ready and hungry for it, especially overseas.

What do you enjoy most about performing? Anything you don’t enjoy about it?
I love connecting with people, uplifting their spirits, inspiring them with my themes and putting myself out there. I don’t really enjoy playing to drunk crowds anymore as I feel most of the time they’re missing the point.

Who are some of your favourite musicians? Is there anyone you look to for musical inspiration?
Warren Maxwell, Ria Hall, Louise Baker, DUB FX are a few that come to mind. I’m inspired by those who follow their hearts, break the rules, and play what they want, not what the industry says people want to hear.

Who have you enjoyed working with?
I loved playing on stage with Fat Freddies Drop for the experience of the big crowds, composing and recording with Anika Moa for her skill and voice and I loooooooove jamming freestyle with people and feeling things fall naturally and beautifully into place.

Will you be celebrating NZ music month?
I’m pretty much gigging every weekend at the moment, I feel I’m having a music year!

Favourite book?
Way of the Superior Man by David Deida.

What are you working on at the moment?
I’m developing my solo act, about to come in for winter and write some new stuff and getting ready to tour Europe in August.

If you could listen to just one song forever, what would it be?
Hmmmmm….. I think that would drive me crazy!

Are there any songs you’d like to cover?
I cover a few of my favourites, I’d love to play ‘Killing in the name of” by Rage Against the Machine. In the right environment, of course.

Do you have any up-coming Wellington gigs we can get along to? Where can we find out more?
I post my gigs on my Facebook page and my website is matiutehuki.co.nz.
My next gig in Wellington is at the Southern Cross 18th May, 10pm-12, free entry.

The way of the superior man : a spiritual guide to mastering the challenges of women, work and sexual desire / David Deida.
“What is your true purpose in life? What do women really want? What makes a good lover? If you’re a man reading this, you’ve undoubtedly asked yourself these questions-but you may not have had much luck answering them. Until now. In The Way of the Superior Man, David Deida explores the most important issues in men’s lives-from career and family to women and intimacy to love and spirituality-to offer a practical guidebook for living a masculine life of integrity, authenticity, and freedom. Join this bestselling author and internationally renowned expert on sexual spirituality for straightforward advice, empowering skills, body practices, and more to help you realize a life of fulfillment, immediately and without compromise. “It is time to evolve beyond the macho jerk ideal, all spine and no heart,” writes David Deida. “It is also time to evolve beyond the sensitive and caring wimp ideal, all heart and no spine.” The Way of the Superior Man presents the ultimate challenge-and reward-for today’s man: to discover the “unity of heart and spine” through the full expression of consciousness and love in the infinite openness of the present moment. Book jacket.” (Syndetics summary)

Welcome to May and to NZ Music Month! We have some exciting things lined up for you on the He kōrero o te wa blog, so make sure you keep an eye out! I would like to kick off NZ music month here with a small feature about a beloved and well-known Māori composer, Paraire Henare Tomoana. This blog post is not only about one of New Zealand’s best-known and loved Māori composers; it is also about someone close to my whanaunga, and it is my greatest pleasure to share with you here a summarised biography, taken from teara.govt.nz:

Paraire Henare Tomoana was born in either 1874 or 1875 in Hastings. Paraire belonged to Ngati Te Whatu-i-apiti and Ngati Kahungunu; through his father he had links to the hapu Ngati Hawea, Ngati Hori, Ngati Te Rehunga and others, and through his mother, to Ngai Te Ao, Ngati Hinepare, and Ngati Hinetewai. His mother and father were both prominent Māori leaders in Hawkes Bay and, inheriting illustrious lineage from both parents, Paraire was destined for leadership.

Te Aute College, Waipawa County. Alexander : Photographs of Te Aute College. Ref: 1/1-013163-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23029536

He attended Te Aute College, where he became a prefect and captain of the school. At school, he was a contemporary of Sir Apirana Ngata, with whom he remained firm friends and whom he also supported politically.

Apirana Turupa Ngata. New Zealand Ilustrated Magazine [1899]. Ref: PUBL-0091-1899-001. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23013034

Paraire was also a formidable athlete, representing Hawkes Bay in rugby, tennis, cricket and hockey, and Turanga in golf. For over ten years, he remained the undefeated champion of the New Zealand Māori golf tournament. In 1904 he was appointed coach of the All Blacks. Paraire married twice. His first marriage had ended by 1912 and in 1913 he married Kuini Ripeka Raerena, aged 19 and one of eight children of Taare Raerena (Ryland), a farmer of Ngati Porou, and Harata Akuhata-Brown (Paraone). These were my great-great-great-grandparents. Kuini was the sister of my great-great-grandmother, Celia Raerena. Paraire had courted Kuini by singing his own composition, the love song ‘Pokarekare ana’, to her and her Ngati Porou elders on Te Poho-o-Rawiri marae. There were four sons and four daughters of this marriage, and Paraire also had an adopted son.

Te Poho-o-Rawiri. Gordon, Peter John Te Otene, fl 1970. First meeting of the Takitimu Maori Council, in front of the second Poho o Rawiri Meeting House. Ref: 1/2-044563-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23041348

Paraire was a pioneer composer of songs in the new ‘action song’ style, moving away from classical waiata which used small note ranges, no harmony and irregular metre. Instead, he wrote words to fit harmonised tunes written in diatonic scales and generally deriving from European songs, the rhythms adapted to fit Māori idiom. One of his best-known songs was ‘Te ope tuatahi’; others are still among the most popular Māori songs in New Zealand. During WWI, Paraire helped raise funds for the Maori Soldiers’ Fund by organising a song and dance group (Te Poi o Heretaunga) which performed at Waimatatini, Wellington, Trentham and Auckland. They performed many of his compositions, including Hoea Ra Te Waka Nei, and E Pari Ra (1918 – the famous tangi for soldiers lost in battle). Other well known songs written by Paraire were ‘Tahi nei taru kino’, ‘I runga i nga puke’, ‘Hoki hoki tonu mai’ and the haka ‘Tika tonu’. As well as composing action songs, Paraire was an accomplished writer and translator, a commentator on ancient waiata, and was well versed in Maori history and lore. In 1946 he suffered a stroke and died on 15 April. He was survived by Kuini, who died in 1984, four daughters, three sons and his adopted son. He is buried in the Waipatu cemetery at Hastings.

(This biography is summarised and paraphrased from www.teara.govt.nz. The full text is available here and is well worth a read; I recommend you take a look!!)

Te Ara Biography:

Angela Ballara. ‘Tomoana, Paraire Henare – Tomoana, Paraire Henare’, from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 30-Oct-2012

The Tomoana whanau remains well-known to this day, and many reminders of their legacy are present in my hometown of Hastings. A number of local landmarks bear the name, such as Tomoana Road, the Tomoana show grounds and, of course, what was the Tomoana freezing works.

My grandmother used to tell us how she would walk with her mother and siblings to visit and spend the day at their home as a child (quite a long way) and, although Paraire had passed away before my mother was born, she also has fond memories of her Aunty Kuini Tomoana as a very warm and sweet person. My grandmother maintained a warm and close relationship with one of Paraire’s and Kuini’s sons, Tamangaro, and his family (he was her second cousin).

Through her relationship with him, I have had the privilege of having a connection with this whanau and their beautiful turangawaewae. I recently attended the combined unveiling of Tamangaro and one of his sons, where a number of Paraire’s songs were sung with great pride, warmth and gusto.

We have some resources about Paraire Tomoana here at the Central Library:

A century of Maori song : a collection of words and music for 56 traditional and contemporary Maori songs of 20th century. Volume one. He koha : a gift of Māori music / [compiled by] Blossom Taewa and Stuart Pearce.

We also have a range of CDs ($1 for one week), featuring songs written by Paraire and performed by more recent artists:

Waiata Maori : a festival of Maori song / sung and narrated by Inia Te Wiata. Reo : he waiata Maori hou o Aotearoa = contemporary Maori songs of New Zealand. The voice [sound recording] / Teddy Tahu Rhodes. Whisper you all the way home [sound recording] / 2003/224 New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir. The young Kiri [sound recording] : the early recordings, 1964-70.

This month the story of Bunty Preece gives us insight into the war efforts of D Company, 28 Māori Battalion, and there is a revised edition of Claudia Orange’s excellent introduction to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Turning points : events that changed the course of New Zealand history / Paul Moon.
“Historian Paul Moon has chosen 20 events that have shaped the course of New Zealand history over the years. The events are described and illustrated with photographs drawn from the archives, and Moon outlines how New Zealand history has changed as a result”–Publisher’s information.

Greater Māori Auckland / David Simmons ; including the Māori place names of Auckland, collected by George Graham. Here, David Simmons extends his earlier account of the many traditions and legends of the Auckland isthmus to its wider context, the countryside beyond.”–back cover.

Kawea te wairua o te kupu / Agnes McFarland (ētita).
“Ko te tuhituhi o te whakaritenga o te whakaaro o tēnei pukapuka he whakatakoto huarahi ki ngā kāinga kōrero i tipu i roto i ngā tau kia kaua e wareware kia kitea ō mātau, ō tātau kanohi ngā kaituhi, ēnei kaituhi ki ngā hapori reo o tōu whānau, hapū, iwi. Kai kona te tika, kai kona te ora, kai kona e hora ai te kupu kia kaua e noho noa ki runga i te whārangi kohokoho, maremare ai. Koia te kaupapa o tēnei tuhituhi kia tipu ngā momo whakataurite, te anga whakaputanga o ngā whakahoutanga o te whakaaro mā tātau katoa ngā kaituhi me te hunga kai te piki ake”–Publisher’s website.

Kia puāwaitia ngā tumanako : critical issues for whānau in Māori education / Jessica Hutchings … [et al.].
“The kaupapa Māori-driven methodology of whanaungatanga, the process of wānanga, and methods of gathering kōrero ā-whānau have enabled us to identify critical issues for whānau in te kōhanga reo, wharekura, early childhood educaton and Pākehā schools”–p. vi-vii.

Bunty Preece : soldier of the 28 (Māori) Battalion / Tom O’Connor.
The story of Alfred (Bunty) Preece of the Chatham Islands (Moriori, Kāi Tahu), soldier, farmer, local body politician, kaumatua and advocate for his people. Includes his recollections of the Italian Campaign of World War Two while serving with the D Company 28 (Māori) Battalion. Includes a full nominal roll of members of D Company.

The story of a treaty / Claudia Orange.
“The Treaty of Waitangi is a central document in New Zealand history. This lively account tells the story of the Treaty from its signing in 1840 through the debates and struggles of the nineteenth century to the gathering political momentum of recent decades. The second edition of this popular book brings the story up to the present”–Back cover.

Maori designs / Penny Brown.This book is published by Search Press, UK and is no. 7 in a series titled “The design library” – Penny Brown has contributed two other books in the series – Art nouveau designs, and Celtic designs. There is no explanation as to what the designs represent, or whence they were derived.

AlterNative : an international journal of indigenous peoples ; vol. 9, issue 1 (2013)
p. 3. Mana whenua and the settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims in the Central North Island of New Zealand by Rāpata Wiri.
“This paper discusses the application of mana whenua or Māori custom law in a controversial Treaty of Waitangi settlement known as the “Treelords Deal”. “–Abstract.

MAI Journal: A New Zealand journal of indigenous scholarship ;volume 2, no. 1
The newest issue of MAI Journal is now available (online).
http://www.journal.mai.ac.nz/
Anne-Marie Jackson provides a discursive analysis of rangatiratanga in the context of Māori fisheries. Jackson explores the restrictions that the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi give to the term rangatiratanga and its authority.
The article entitled “Whānau-centred health and social service delivery in New Zealand” by Amohia Boulton, Jennifer Tamehana and Tula Brannelly explores the “whānau ora philosophy that became the cornerstone of Māori health policy” and offer their observations on how important this new policy approach has been, and will be in the coming years.
Spencer Lilley proposes to fill the gap in literature in her paper “Māori Career Information Seeking.” She finds that it is the interpersonal relationships of the individuals to be the main informer for rangatahi.
A descriptive study in maintaining relationships and accessing information is presented by Acushla O’Carroll in the article entitled “An Analysis of How Rangatahi Māori Use Social Networking Sites”

Three books this month give us snippets and stories of the land.  There is the walking tour of 200 sites throughout New Zealand, a story of the gifting of Lake Wairarapa, along with the background environmental, archaeological “moulding of its landscape”, and then the account of the settlement and development of Hokowhitu in Palmerston North.  A fascinating special issue of NZJES discusses Kaupapa Māori.

Exploring Aotearoa : short walks to reveal the Māori landscape / Peter Janssen.
“A walking guide containing around 200 short walks that explore Māori features of the landscape”–Publisher information.
“Author Peter Janssen has researched the fascinating background to each site, drawing on Māori oral and written history to relate the creation myths, battle scenes, momentous events and cultural detail underlying these sites”–Back cover

Wairarapa Moana : the lake and its people / general editor: Ian F. Grant.
“Wairarapa Moana tells the story of the North Island’s largest lake complex from the mists of Māori myths to the realities of today’s environmental problems. Thirteen contributors … have written about Māori and Pākehā history, the area’s archaeology and the moulding of its landscape , the control of water in Wairarapa Moana’s complex of lakes, rivers and wetlands, about the diverse and sometimes rare fauna and flora, and about the clashes between European farming and Māori cultural values. Most significantly, there is also the little known saga of the Māori gifting of Lake Wairarapa to the Crown in 1896, the subsequent trail of broken promises and deceit until, finally, the people of Wairarapa Moana triumphed with their successful development of the Pouākani lands in the Waikato”–back cover

Hokowhitu : the story of settlement and development / Garry O’Neill.“Hokowhitu tells the story of settlement in pre-European times, and the reserve land retained by the Rangitāne when the Government purchased Te Ahu-a-Turanga block of land in 1864. As the township of Palmerston North developed the Māori Reserve was subdivided ito seven blocks and allocated to the principal families of the Rangitāne. Each family negotiated the rights to mill the trees”–Preface, p. 4.

Matiatia : gateway to Waiheke / Paul Monin.“Understanding the past is crucial to the decisions being made today. Waiheke historian Paul Monin tells the story of Matiatia from occupation at the time of the first Maori settlement of Aotearoa to the present day.”–back cover.

Archaeology in New Zealand ; vol. 55, no. 4 (December 2012)
p. 243. Whenua tuku iho : managing an ancestral archaeological landscape ; Ōtakanini Tōpū, South Kaipara Peninsula by Vanessa Tanner, Leah McCurdy and Malcolm Paterson.
p. 258. Investigation of Māori ovens on the old Lyttelton waterfront by (M36/229) by Andy Dodd.

New Zealand journal of educational studies ; vol . 47, no. 2 (2012)
Special issue: He aha te kaupapa? Critical conversations in kaupapa Māori ; edited by Te Kawehau Hoskins and Alison Jones.
p. 10. Interview : Kaupapa Māori : the dangers of domestication by Graham Smith.
p. 21. Interview : Kaupapa Māori : shifting the social by Mason Durie.
p. 30. Politics and knowledge : kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal.
p. 38. Pretty difficult : implementing kaupapa Māori theory in English-medium secondary schools by Russell Bishop.
p. 51. Achievements, orthodoxies and science in kaupapa Māori schooling by Georgina M. Stewart.
p. 64. Kaupapa Māori research : epistemic wilderness as freedom? by Garrick Cooper.
p. 74. Making sense of kaupapa Māori : a linguistic point of view by Peter J. Keegan.
p.85. A fine risk : ethics in kaupapa Māori politics by Te Kawehau Hoskins.
p. 100. Dangerous liaisons : Pākehā, kaupapa Māori, and educational research by Alison Jones.

Otaki historical journal ; vol. 34 (2012)
p. 10. James Cootes : whaler by Sonia Kellett. (James was the husband of Waitaoro Te Kanawa, Ngāti Toa)
p. 32. Hira Royal : mother, and leader of her people by Rose Monk.
p. 59. Old Maori college photographs.
p. 63. Music and gardening a way of life for Paddy Rikihana by Queenie Rikihana-Hyland.

Welcome to the seminar of Law for Lunch at the Kilbirnie Branch Library!
Our speaker this week will be Kahureremoa Aki, Community Lawyer at the Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley.

Kahureremoa Aki is the Rōia Hāpori (Community Lawyer) providing legal services to Māori at Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley. She has helped many families with questions about social security.
Kahu will be focussing on:

• Youth and young parents
• Budgeting and incentives
• Being “work available”
• The DPB and children
• Social obligations
• Drug testing
• Penalties and exemptions

Come along to find out more about the Welfare Reforms and the changes, scheduled to come into effect this July.
Ask your questions about social obligations, dependent children and health issues, beneficiaries who refuse to apply for drug-tested jobs or any concerns you might have related to benefit reforms.

This presentation will take place this Wednesday, from 12 noon to 1pm, at the Ruth Gotlieb Kilbirnie Library.
All welcome!

For more information, please check our online event calendar

Ralph Hotere, or Hone Papita Raukura, was a prominent Māori artist and widely recognised as one of New Zealand’s most important artists. He was born in Mitimiti, Northland and was of Te Aupōuri and Te Rarawa decent. Known as a “warrior artist”, he was renowned for his passionately political artworks, as he provocatively portrayed some of New Zealand’s most divisive historical events. He is attributed with having helped shape New Zealand’s cultural identity, and was accordingly appointed to the Order of New Zealand in the New Year Honours 2012 for services to New Zealand. He passed away on 24 February 2013 at age 81, and was mourned and remembered in a large service in Dunedin on 28 February.

We have many books about Ralph Hotere here at the library:

Ralph Hotere : black light : major works, including collaborations with Bill Culbert / [editors, Cilla McQueen ... [et al.]]

Ralph Hotere / with Kriselle Baker & Vincent O’Sullivan.

Hotere : empty of shadows and making a shadow : lithographs by Ralph Hotere / Peter Vangioni, Jillian Cassidy ; introduction by Marian Maguire.

The desire of the line : Ralph Hotere figurative works / Kriselle Baker.

As well as these, we have a DVD about Ralph Hotere:

Ralph Hotere / directed by Darcy Lange.

And even a video!

Hotere [videorecording] / a Paradise Films production ; written & directed by Merata Mita.
Discusses the artwork of New Zealand’s most famous contemporary Māori artist, Ralph Hotere. Suggested audience: general.

We also have a full collection at Central Library of Art New Zealand magazines, dating back to 1976. Ralph Hotere features in a huge number of them. If you need assistance to access the collection, just ask at any of our Central Library enquiries desks and we’ll be glad to help.

At a Gala Awards Presentation on the 28th February, Dame Anne Salmond was honoured as the 2013 New Zealander of the Year. This award is for a New Zealander who has made, according to the organisers of the award, “a significant contribution to our nation and makes us proud of our country and what can be achieved”. This year’s recipient is a well known author and we have in our collection her eight award winning books on the topics of Māori life and early contacts between Europeans and islanders in Polynesia. Anne Salmond is an eminent historian, writer and academic. She worked closely with Eruera and Amiria Stirling, Te Whaanau-a-Apanui and Ngati Porou elders, and this collaboration led to her first three books. Here are her books in reverse chronological order.

Bligh : William Bligh in the South Seas / Anne Salmond.
“Aphrodite’s Island is a bold new account of the European discovery of Tahiti, the Pacific island of mythic status in Western imaginings about sexuality, the exotic, and the nobility or bestiality of ’savages’. In this groundbreaking book, Anne Salmond takes readers to the centre of these societies’ shared history to furnish rich insights into Tahitian perceptions of the visitors while illuminating the full extent of European fascination with Tahiti. As she discerns the impact and meaning of the European effect on the island, she demonstrates how, during the early contact period, the mythologies of Europe and Tahiti intersected and became entwined.Drawing on Tahitian oral histories, European manuscripts and artworks, and collections of Tahitian artifacts, and illustrated with sketches, paintings, and engravings from the voyages, Aphrodite’s Island provides a vivid account of the Europeans’ Tahitian adventures. The book’s many compelling insights into Tahitian life will significantly change the way we view the history of this small island during a period when it became a crossroads for Europe.” (Syndetics summary)

The trial of the cannibal dog : Captain Cook in the South Seas / Anne Salmond.
“The Pacific voyages of James Cook sailed across perilous tropical seas, survived hurricanes and volcanic eruptions, discovered unknown lands and peoples and made their Captain an icon of imperial history.” “Yet, as Anne Salmond shows, the story of these epic South Sea journeys is far more than one of conquest and control. She has devoted a lifetime to the study of relations between Europeans and Polynesians, and this startling, rich, stylish book is the result. In Salmond’s account, Cook’s great voyages regain their dreamlike quality as they encounter the last major human communities untouched by wider worlds. Far from being little wooden islands of Englishness in a Polynesian sea, his ships and the men in them are as much changed by what happens as the islanders they meet. We see them alarmed and entranced by the islanders’ open sexuality, shocked by human sacrifice and cannibalism, but also forging relationships with Pacific Island friends and lovers, acquiring tattoos and learning to speak Polynesian languages, with Cook himself granted the status of high chief in many areas before his violent downfall.” (Book Jacket)

Between worlds : early exchanges between Maori and Europeans, 1773-1815 / Anne Salmond.
“This book follows on from ‘Two Worlds’ which covered the period from Abel Tasman’s visit to Cook’s in 1772, and explores the time from Cook’s second visit to the establishment of the first missionary settlement. It is in three parts: science and whakapapa; utu, law and commerce; and tapu and religion. It is illustrated with black and white images and maps, and includes an appendix detailing the many visits by European ships during the period.” (Syndetics summary)

Two worlds : first meetings between Maori and Europeans, 1642-1772 / Anne Salmond.
“This book is a provocative synthesis of two previously seperate views of the dramatic action-packed first meetings of Māori and Europeans in New Zealand. The result is a work of trail blazing significance in which many popular misconceptions and bigotries to do with common perceptions of traditional Māori society are revealed. It also opens up new possibilities in the international study of European exploration and ‘discovery’.” (Adapted from front cover)

Eruera, the teachings of a Maori elder / Eruera Stirling as told to Anne Salmond.
“The book is concerned to preserve the traditional knowledge Eruera Stirling had himself received from tribal elders. There is an outline tribal history, and an account of life in his youth. Concepts such as mana, matauranga and whakapapa are discussed, as well as recent important events in New Zealand race relations. The book won the Wattie Book Award in 1981. ‘Two Worlds’, Anne Salmond’s most recent book, won a Wattie Award and the New Zealand Book Award for non-fiction in 1991.” (Syndetics summary)

Amiria : the life story of a Maori woman / Amiria Manutahi Stirling ; as told to Anne Salmond.
“Amiria Manutahi Stirling was born at Taumata-o-mihi, a small settlement near Ruatoria on the East Coast. She was a member of the Ngāti Hinekehu sub-tribe of Ngāti Porou. In 1918 her elders arranged her marriage to Eruera Stirling of Te Whānau-ā-Maru in the Bay of Plenty, a match aimed at strengthening traditional links between two groups. The story of her life and marriage is told in this book.” (Adapted from back cover)

Hui : a study of Maori ceremonial gatherings / Anne Salmond.
“This book introduces us to all aspects of the hui and its significance for the Māori. It is a definitive study of ceremonial gatherings and the riruals that are the life blood of the marae. She presents a comprehensive account of Māori ceremonial gatherings for the formal student of ethnology and anthropology and provides absorbing reading for the lay person, Māori and Pākehā, with an interest in Māoritanga.” (Adapted from front cover)

Tomorrow (20 February) at 12.30 pm, at the Central Library, we will be treated to an interesting kōrero by Neavin Broughton and Ben Ngaia, of the cultural arm of the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust who will describe not just the history and migration of  “Taranaki iwi” to the rohe of Te Whanganui-ā-Tara, but also their seasonal food gathering forays, from the beach at Te Aro right through to sites at Newtown then onwards to Tapu Te Ranga.

My interest, in Te Aro Pā lies in stories of people named on a map of the Te Aro pā site, which is reproduced in our books – Nga Tupuna o Te Whanganui-a-Tara:

Undoubtedly Neavin and Ben will sketch the recent uncovering of the Whare Ponga, and possibly the uncovering of the culvert of the Waimapihi Stream.

Have you noticed the completed mural in Taranaki Street, adjacent to the Whare Ponga which embodies the spirituality of the site for Taranaki Whānui iwi?

Written history, recorded by missionaries ,1830-40s, and Edward Gibbon Wakefield tells of early encounters between ‘natives’ of Te Aro and English colonials, attempted Christianity conversions, and introductions to a Victorian way of life.

Māori viewpoint of these early encounters is found in contemporary letters from Minarapa, and Wi Neera Te Kanae, for example,

Letter from Minarapa Rangihatuake to Rev. J. Aldred re the Wesleyan purchase of lands at Te Aro, 1893 / translated by Elsdon Best.

The history of the tribes Ngati-Toarangatira, Ngati-Awa-o-Runga-o-te-Rangi and Ngati-Raukawa : having special reference to the doings of Te-Rauparaha / written by Wiremu Neera Te Kanae ; translated by George Graham.

And there are some interesting stories in the Māori Land Court Minute Books. (For example, ‘the potato battle at Ngauranga’ & ‘killing of Te Matoha, in Wairarapa’).

Tales may be recorded in waiata, (as in Best’s book – the Land of Tara) whose information is heavily based on the kōrero of Te Matorohanga.

Elsdon Best, with assistance from Te Matorohanga has traced the the voyages of discovery through Cook Strait by Kupe, Toi, Whatonga, Tara and Tautoki., and the establishment of pa and kainga around the shores of Te Whanganui-a-Tara at Whetu-kairangi, Ranga-a-hiwi. He has interlaced these histories with stories of Rangi-kai-kore and Hine-rau, and the taniwha Takai-ruru.

Jock McEwen was one scholar who researched at length to untangle the many migrations of iwi from the East Coast down to Wellington, and beyond. He put together an early set of four lectures, Migrations to and settlement of the Wellington area : a series of 4 lectures, as class notes for use at Victoria University, around 1971 and then honed his themes in his book “Rangitāne”.

The library holds a number of books which describe the history and migrations of the Taranaki iwi to Te Whanganui-ā-Tara.

Two recent (and arbitrary) selections are:

Te tau ihu o te Waka = A history of Māori of Nelson and Marlborough / Hilary and John Mitchell.

Nga hekenga o Te Atiawa : Waitangi Tribunal report / Alan Riwaka. (2003)

Māori of Wellington are fascinatingly captured in well-known paintings by Heaphy, Brees (and others) whilst the portraits by Angas create an aura of romanticised Grecian-like groupings.

Angas, George French, 1822-1886. Angas, George French 1822-1886 :A group at the Te Aro Pah, Port Nicholson. Ware. Aitu. Ko Repu. George French Angas [delt & lith]. Plate 40. 1847.. Angas, George French 1822-1886 :The New Zealanders Illustrated. London, Thomas McLean, 1847.. Ref: PUBL-0014-40. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22701759

On our library website, you will find references, images, and a biographical snapshot of the whānau of Hemi Parai and Mata Te Naihi / Te Wai Heberley.

Nau mai, haere mai ki te Mana Whenua kōrero a te Rātoru, 20 Hui tangaru, 12.30 pm, Whare Matua, o Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui.

As promised, here is some more info on Waitangi Day celebrations taking place on Wednesday 6 February.

Te Rā o Waitangi celebrations will take place on the Wellington waterfront, mostly centred around the Te Raukura building, from 10am to 4pm. There will be activities, bands, trade stands and, of course, food! There will be many kiwiana and Māori-themed kai options available (get in quick for the hangi!).

There will also be a special performance from SKIN Choir, in association with Toi Māori Aotearoa, at Odlins Plaza, Wellington waterfront. The choir is visiting New Zealand from Australia for a five-day programme of cultural and musical exchange. This is to be the first step in establishing a Trans-Tasman musical exchange between the indigenous Māori music community of New Zealand and the indigenous music community of Australia.

Also on the day, there will be a Ki-o-Rahi festival held at Waitangi Park from 11am to 3pm. If you need some more information on what that is, you can find out here.

Te Rā o Waitangi celebrations will end with a screening of Boy in Waitangi Park, starting at dusk (approximately between 8.30 and 9.30pm).

For more information on any of these events, please check the Wellington City Council events page.

All of these events are free and open to the general public. Hope to see you there!