A selection of recent additions to our Māori Collection, including timely works on Parihaka and the New Zealand Wars, a compilation of writings from modern Māori authors, a tribute to the well-loved Moana Jackson, and more!
Te Kooti’s last foray : the extraordinary story of Te Kooti’s 1870 abduction of two Whakatōhea communities into the Waioeka Gorge and how Whanganui’s pursuit won the day but never the credit / Crosby, R. D.
“On 7 March 1870 the prophet and rebel Te Kooti swept out of Te Urewera to Ōpape, in what would be his last major action of the New Zealand Wars. His forces abducted 218 Whakatōhea and marched them into the bush to build a pa called Waipuna. Before long the government sent troops in pursuit – almost exclusively Māori. In this captivating book, historian Ron Crosby draws on his decades of experience in Te Urewera and recently discovered diaries to recount this overlooked yet crucial episode in the New Zealand Wars – for the first time locating precisely where the events occurred, and telling what really happened.” (adapted from Catalogue)
The forgotten prophet : Tāmati Te Ito and his Kaingārara movement / Sissons, Jeffrey
“Tāmati Te Ito Ngāmoke led the prophetic Kaingārara movement in Taranaki from 1856. Te Ito was revered by tribal leaders as a prophetic tohunga matakite; but others, including many settlers and officials, viewed him as an ‘imposter’. By the time war broke out in 1860, Te Ito and his followers had established a school and a court system in Taranaki. Te Ito was a visionary adviser to Te Ātiawa chief Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke, and played a crucial role in the conflicted region, both before and after the wars of the 1860s. Initially perceived as a rival to the Parihaka leaders, Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai, he eventually joined the Parihaka community.” (adapted from Bridget Williams Books)
Ngā kupu wero : a powerful new collection of non-fiction by contemporary Māori writers
“Ngā Kupu Wero brings together a bounty of essays, articles, commentary, and creative non-fiction on the political, cultural, and social issues that challenge us today. From colonisation to identity, from creativity to mātauranga Māori, over 60 writers explore the power of the word. Ngā Kupu Wero is a companion volume to Te Awa o Kupu, which presents recent poetry and fiction. Together these two passionate and vibrant anthologies reveal that the irrepressible river of words flowing from Māori writers today shows us who and what we are.” (adapted from Catalogue)
Te reo kapekape : Māori wit and humour / Black, Hona
“Want to know how to call a silly person a ‘roro hipi / sheep’s brain’, or bring out ‘same old, same old’ when the conversation is going round in circles? The answers are all in Te Reo Kapekape (literally, ‘the language of poking fun’), with more than 130 humorous and unique phrases in te reo and English that can be used to describe people, events and actions. The sayings are divided into four chapters – above the hip, below the hip, other phrases, and idioms. This book will be a valuable resource for anyone wanting to spice up their te reo or English with some fun and cheeky Māori sayings, and will appeal to both language learners and fluent speakers of te reo Māori.” (adapted from Catalogue)
Ngātokimatawhaorua : the biography of a waka / Evans, Jeff
“This is the biography of the mighty ceremonial waka taua Ngātokimatawhaorua that rests on the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi. The inspiration for its construction came from Te Puea Herangi. In the late 1930s the Waikato leader held a dream to build seven waka taua for the 1940 centennial commemorations at Waitangi. By 1937 two waka had been commissioned. Carved in Northland under the guidance of Pita Heperi (Te Tai Tokerau) and Piri Poutapu (Waikato), Ngātokimatawhaorua was one of them. But it was to be many decades before the true power of the waka to inspire a people was realised. In 1974 Ngatokimatawhaorua was refurbished by the late Sir Heke-nuku-mai-nga-iwi ‘Hec’ Busby for relaunching during Waitangi Day ceremonies. It was then that Te Puea’s dream turned into reality. Ngātoki is the story of this great canoe, the longest to be built in modern times, and those who carved and crewed it over the last 80 years.” (adapted from Catalogue)
The power in our truth, the truth in our power : recollections of Moana
“”So now, this thinker, this gifted communicator, this provocateur, this great role model, this gentleman, this Rangatira is no longer with us. But let’s not dwell on that. He has left us with a pathway to follow, work to do. And the way to best honour him is to take up the challenges, do the mahi and let the stories be told” (Patricia Grace). In this collection of writing, some of Moana Jackson’s friends, whanau, and colleagues share recollections of the man they knew, and reflect on his many contributions to whānau, hapū, iwi, Aotearoa, and the world.” (adapted from Catalogue)
