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)

Continue reading “He Pukapuka Hou: New Items in Our Māori Collection” →

A selection of some of the recent additions to te kohikohinga Māori. Also, with the recent closure of our He Matapihi branch, be sure to visit Te Awe Brandon Street Library to view the expanded collection.

No Māori allowed : New Zealand’s forgotten history of racial segregation : how a generation of Māori children perished in the fields of Pukekohe / Bartholomew, Robert E
“There was a time when Māori were: barred from public toilets, segregated at the cinema & swimming baths, refused alcohol, haircuts & taxi rides, forced to stand for white bus passengers, not allowed to attend school with other students. From 1925 to the early 1960s, hundreds of Māori infants and children died there in the racially segregated slums where they were forced to live in shacks and manure sheds on the edge of town, away from European residents. Using records from the National Archives and first hand interviews, No Māori Allowed looks at what happened at Pukekohe and the extent of racial intolerance across the country at this time.” (adapted from Catalogue)

Ora : healing ourselves : indigenous knowledge, healing and wellbeing
“This collection brings together indigenous thinkers and practitioners from Aotearoa and internationally to discuss the effects of trauma on indigenous peoples across social, economic, political and cultural environments. The authors explore understandings and practices of indigenous people, grounded in the knowledge of ancestors and based on research, that facilitate healing and wellbeing. It discusses tikanga Māori concepts, decolonising approaches and navigating mauri ora, and explores indigenous models of healing, focusing on connections to land and the environment, whakapapa connections and indigenous approaches such as walking, hunting, and growing and accessing traditional foods for wellbeing.” (adapted from Catalogue)

The fate of the land = Ko ngā ākinga a ngā rangatira : Māori political struggle in the Liberal era 1891-1912 / Keenan, Danny
“In the second half of the nineteenth century, settlers poured into Aotearoa demanding land. Millions of acres were acquired by the government or directly by settlers. By 1891, when the Liberal government came to power, Māori retained only a fraction of their lands. And still the losses continued. For rangatira such as James Carroll, Wiremu Pere, Pāora Tūhaere, Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, and many others, the challenges were innumerable. To stop further land loss, some rangatira saw parliamentary process as the mechanism; others pursued political independence. How those rangatira fared, and how they should be remembered, is the story of Māori political struggle during the Liberal era” (adapted from Catalogue)

A kind of shelter = Whakaruru-taha
“Sixty-eight writers and eight artists gather at a hui in a magnificent cave-like dwelling or meeting house. In a series of rich conversations, those present discuss our world in the second decade of this century; they look at decolonisation, indigeneity, climate change . . . this is what they see. Edited by Witi Ihimaera and Michelle Elvy, this fresh, exciting anthology features poetry, short fiction and creative non-fiction, as well as kōrero or conversations between writers. The lineup from Aoteraoa includes Alison Wong, Paula Morris, Anne Salmond, Tina Makereti, Ben Brown, David Eggleton, Cilla McQueen, Hinemoana Baker, Erik Kennedy, Ian Wedde, Nina Mingya Powles, Gregory O’Brien, Vincent O’Sullivan, Patricia Grace, Selina Tusitala Marsh and Whiti Hereaka. Guest writers from overseas include Jose-Luis Novo and Ru Freeman.” (adapted from Catalogue)

TV and Te Tiriti : key factors in Aotearoa’s bicultural surge / Leslie, Brent
“In recent decades, New Zealand has changed remarkably in its bicultural attitudes, but why? Covering major turning points until the end of 2022, experienced writer and TV documentary maker, Brent Leslie, brings a unique perspective on this change and strong reasons for having considerable confidence in the future.” (Catalogue)

Look back at the wars of the 1860s, through the nature of privilege in Aotearoa, and into the future through a re-examination of how we teach our tamariki. A broad range of topics have been added to our ever-expanding Māori collection recently; see below for a selection.

Tiakina te Pā Harakeke : ancestral knowledge and tamariki wellbeing
“Tiakina Te Pā Harakeke : Ancestral Knowledge and Tamariki Wellbeing discusses the values and successful practices of Māori childrearing that have been maintained and encouraged within whānau, hapū and iwi for generations. This book brings together knowledge and insights from a wide range of Māori experts across multiple disciplines. The authors explore childrearing approaches and models grounded in kaupapa Māori and Māori knowledge that encourage wellbeing outcomes for children and whānau and incorporate ancestral knowledge into practices for the contemporary world”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)

Wawata : Moon Dreaming : daily wisdom guided by Hina, the Māori moon / Elder, Hinemoa
“Hina, the Maori moon goddess, has 30 different faces to help illuminate life’s lessons – a different face and a different energy for each day of the month. And with her changing light, new insights are revealed. This book gives us the chance to connect to the ancient wisdom of the old people, who reach forward into our lives, with each of the moon’s names as their offerings. Their reminders are a source of strength in our strange modern world, where we have been stripped of much of the connection and relationships we need for our wellbeing through successive lockdowns. This book leads you through a full cycle of the moon, to consider 30 aspects of life, and is designed to open up our moon dreams, for a deeper affectionate connection with ourselves and others.” (adapted from Catalogue)

Mokolife : te kanoi ote uhi : the female energies of the modern chisel / Cooper, Tracey
“Moko kauae are steadily becoming an everyday sight in homes, streets, offices, parks, and playgrounds throughout Aotearoa. Mokolife tells the story of Joni Brooking, one of our leading female moko artists, and some of the wahine whose lives she has changed forever and the challenges they have overcome. Mokolife provides an insight into a world few of us know and looks at what’s driving the current resurgence of moko kauae. It provides an in-depth explanation of all aspects of moko kanohi from the perspective of one of our leading female moko artists in an accessible and readable narrative. It is a valuable resource for students, artists, and anyone interested in learning more about this artform.” (adapted from Catalogue)

Ira Tākaro Māori : rethinking health, sport and education in Aotearoa/NZ / Brown, Harko
“Brown contends that since the mid-1800’s there has been a lack of attention to ira tākaro (or the schema) of Tamariki Māori in our health, sports, and educational institutes. He says this has often negatively impacted Tamariki Māori via scornful social discourses, for example, by educators critical of Māori children’s in-school behaviours, and in their overall academic and health statistics. He describes the natural expressions of ira tākaro in Polynesian children as pronounced and packed with powerful potential which at present is much maligned and misunderstood in general by hauora providers, particularly by those in the fields of mental health and child psychology, by sports and recreational providers and in teaching professions.” (Catalogue)

Privilege in Perpetuity : exploding a Pākehā myth / Meihana, Peter
“The ‘idea of Māori privilege’, as Meihana describes it, is deeply embedded in New Zealand culture. Many New Zealanders hold firm to the belief that Māori have been treated better than other indigenous peoples, and that they receive benefits that other New Zealanders do not. Some argue that the supposed privileges that Māori receive are a direct attack on the foundations of the nation. Privilege in Perpetuity charts the 18th-century origins of this idea, tracing its development over time, and assesses what impact this notion of privilege has had on Māori communities. Central to this history is the paradox, explored by Meihana, of how Māori were rendered landless and politically marginalised, yet at the same time were somehow still considered privileged. The idea of privilege is revealed as central to colonisation in New Zealand and the dispossession and marginalisation of Māori – and as a stubbornly persistent prejudice that remains in place today.” (adapted from Catalogue)

He Tau Makuru : 50 years of Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival
“Te Matatini is the world’s largest celebration of contemporary Māori performing arts. This national kapa haka festival is held in Aotearoa New Zealand every two years. In 2022, Te Matatini celebrates its fiftieth year, and this book honours the festival. The book captures key memoirs from people involved in the festival since 1972. It features images from kapa haka stalwarts celebrating key moments in Te Matatini history, while also honouring those who have passed on and remembering their contributions through a legacy dedication section”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)

Te Rautakitahi o Tūhoe ki Ōrākau / Temara, Pou
“An account of Tūhoe involvement in the battle of Ōrākau in the New Zealand wars by Sir William Te Rangiua ‘Pou’ Temara. Written in te reo Māori and based on oral sources, Tā Pou asks the big questions about the Tūhoe men and women who went to fight with Ngāti Maniapoto at Ōrākau. Who were they? Why did they go and what did they do there? What was the nature of their alliance with Ngāti Maniapoto? Tā Pou gives this account as a man from Ruatāhuna, where most of the Tūhoe who went to Ōrākau came from, through the stories told to him by his grandfather, great-grandmother and other kuia and koroua when he was young. The book includes significant Tūhoe whakapapa for those who went to Ōrākau.” (adapted from Catalogue)