Te Tiriti o Waitangi: 6 Huitanguru 2024

Te Tiriti books

Kia Tūpato: let’s begin this kōrero (in somewhat turbulent times) with a waiata from Morvin Simon:

And as we pause — kia maumaharatia anō Te Tiriti o Waitangi, me hora te aroha engari anō te rirhau, spread love not anger — ngā kupu mōhio nō ō tātou rangatira:

Here are some resources for Te Rā o Waitangi, gathered from ngā hau e whā…

Continue reading “Te Tiriti o Waitangi: 6 Huitanguru 2024”

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2023: Whakanuia te mahi tā Morvin Simon: kia kaha te reo Māori

Morvin Simon MNZM
Morvin Simon MNZM, 1944-2014. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons and the Governor-General/Government House website

Morvin Simon, 1944-2014
Te Āti-Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Tuwharetoa
b. Kaiwhaiki Marae, Whanganui River
Composer, kapa haka leader, choirmaster and historian

In this Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, let’s remember the special team of Morvin and Kura Simon, who gave a life’s partnership to sustaining Te Reo Māori and enhancing Māori performing arts:

Morvin composed many waiata including our workplace favourite: (Te Aroha 1983) – so simple and yet so beautiful but he composed many other waiata such as:

His wife Kura was his pou for the last seven years of Morvin’s chronic ill-health. Kapa haka is a wonderful way of promoting te reo and they brought aroha and whanaungatanga to the lives of rōpū such as Te Matapihi, and Te Taikura o te Awa Tupua.

Together, in 2013, they were awarded Queen’s Birthday honours – Morvin as Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and Kura as Queen’s Service Medal , for their services to Māori.

In the previous year, 2012, Morvin received an honorary Bachelor of Arts (Māori Performing Arts) from Te Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.

Our library has copies of Morvin’s history of pā of Whanganui – Taku Whare e! but his tuhituhinga included:

Te Kohanga reo, he ahurewa mana = A language nursery, seedbed of dignity (1990)

1946-1996 Hui Aranga : “Te Aranga Ake” = “The Resurrection” (1996)

A century of Maori song : a collection of words and music for 56 traditional and contemporary Maori songs of the 20the century. Volume one (2002)

He whakaaro hei korero (1991)

and a section of Te Wharekura. 46: Te Taonga nei o te tikanga.

Morvin exhorted his learners to be always prepared for any occasion:

You never know when you just might have to step up to the plate and get your reo on:
Moea to taiaha ; Moea to patu ; Moea to poi

Sleep wth your taiaha, sleep with your patu, sleep with your poi / Be prepared for the unexpected.

Learn more:

Auē in And Just Like That

Sharp spotting and posting by Makaro Press: Becky Manawatu’s novel Auē, winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Pride for Fiction, 2020 and the Ngaio Marsh award for best crime novel, 2020, wins a walk-on part in And Just Like That, the revival and sequel of television series Sex in the City.

How could this possibly happen? Well, it seems that Sarah in her role of literary icon, Carrie, along with that show’s writers, delights in choosing which books she will carry as an accessory to her character.

But there is a further association with New Zealand culture. She enjoys New Zealand sauvignon blanc, and in 2019 became a business partner in Waikato’s wine Invivo.

Still haven’t read Auē? Reserve it from our catalogue:

Auē / Manawatu, Becky
“Taukiri was born into sorrow. Auē can be heard in the sound of the sea he loves and hates, and in the music he draws out of the guitar that was his father’s. It spills out of the gang violence that killed his father and sent his mother into hiding, and the shame he feels about abandoning his eight-year-old brother to another violent home. But Arama is braver than he looks, and he has a friend and his friend has a dog, and the three of them together might just be strong enough to turn back the tide of sorrow. As long as there’s aroha to give and stories to tell and a good supply of plasters”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

50 Years of Te Matatini

Ka mau te wehi! Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata kicks off in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland today following a four year hiatus, after the 2021 festival was postponed due to the pandemic. Te Matatini (the many faces) is often described as the Olympics of kapa haka and is the pinnacle event for Māori performing arts, where kapa haka rōpū from across Aotearoa compete over four days to be crowned Toa Whakaihuwaka – the champions of Te Matatini. Te Matatini turned 50 in 2022, so the 2023 festival also celebrates this incredible milestone.

The most recent Te Matatini festival, Te Matatini ki te Ao, was hosted by Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in 2019 and saw 3000 participants performing in front of a global audience of 1350000! This year, 48 rōpū from across Aotearoa and two from Australia will be taking the stage at Ngā Ana Wai Eden Park, with the nine finalist teams performing on Saturday.

Explore our booklist below, featuring old and new pukapuka about Te Matatini, kapa haka and the history of waiata and Māori performing arts in Aotearoa. We’re especially excited for the arrival of He Tau Makuru, specially released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Te Matatini, and we also have some picture books about kapa haka. Kia pai tāu pānui! Happy reading!

He Tau Makuru : 50 Years of Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival
“Te Matatini (the many faces) is the world’s largest celebration of contemporary Māori performing arts – the Olympics of kapa haka. 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 (alongside an album and web series) honours the festival.” (from publisher’s site).

Mātāmua ko te kupu! : te haka tēnā! te wana, taku ihi e, pupuritia / Kāretu, T. S.
“Sir Timoti Karetu is one of the country’s leading exponents of te reo Māori. He is also an unrivalled creator of waiata and haka, composing songs and judging at Te Matatini and other events. In this book, Sir Timoti shares his extensive experience in the artforms of haka and waiata – from Māori songs of the two world wars to the rise of kapa haka competitions, from love songs to action songs, from Sir Apirana Ngata to Te Puea Herangi, and from Te Matatini to contemporary hui on marae. Written in exemplary te reo Māori, Matamua ko te Kupu! will become a taonga of Māori knowledge and language.” (Adapted from catalogue)

Ka mau te Wehi = Taking haka to the world : Bub & Nen’s story / Wehi, Ngapo
“Ngapo and Pimia Wehi, affectionately known as Bub and Nen, have achieved what no other partnership has accomplished in a lifetime of kapa haka. With over a century of combined experience in Māori song and dance, leading teams and teaching, they are recognised as New Zealand’s foremost leaders in this ever-expanding arena. Ka Mau Te Wehi is a rare insight into Bub and Nen’s private lives and their journey to enhance the Māori culture they so dearly loved. Additionally, it offers a personalised history of contemporary Māori music and performance over more than half a century, surveying the origins of modern kapa haka and the path of its intense growth as a national and international phenomenon.” (Adapted from catalogue).

Kia Rōnaki = The Māori performing arts
“In the last thirty years there has been an explosion of interest in the Māori performing arts but until now there has been no general book written in English or Māori about the Māori performing arts by Māori authors and exponents of the various genres. This new work, brings together the expertise of a range of performance artists and academics, consolidating their knowledge into a comprehensive single volume that will be of relevance to all those interested in the Māori performing arts.” (Catalogue)

Ngā mōteatea : he maramara rere nō ngā waka maha / Ngata, Apirana Turupa
“This classic text on Māori culture collects indigenous New Zealand songs recorded over a period of 40 years by a respected Māori leader and distinguished scholar. The essence of Māori culture and its musical tradition is exhibited in the original song texts, translations, audio CDs, and notes from contemporary scholars featured in this new edition. This rare cultural treasure makes accessible a fleeting moment in Māori history when traditional practices and limited experience with the outside world allowed indigenous songs and customs to flourish.” (Catalogue)

Haka : te tohu o te whenua rangatira = the dance of a noble people / Kāretu, T. S.
“All New Zealanders are familiar with haka, especially the famous ‘Ka mate ka mate’, but few would be able to describe what haka really is. Timoti Karetu describes the various types of haka and their different roles in Māori customs.” (Catalogue)

 

 

The Māori action song : waiata a ringa, waiata kori, no whea tenei ahua hou / Shennan, Jennifer
“This book is a discussion of Māori action songs. A number of the earliest action songs are remembered and performed as classics up to 60 years later. Recent developments have taken the action song away from the simplicity of its earliest form with borrowed European melodies, to more sophisticated compositions including dramatic effects with interpolated haka rhythms. It is this process-the instinctive moulding of innovated movement into the aesthetically acceptable dance style-which makes absorbing study.” (Adapted from catalogue)

Māori action songs : words and music, action and instructions / Ngata, Reupena
“The action song is a modern addition to Māori performing arts, pioneered in the early twentieth century by Sir Apirana Ngata.  Almost a century after it first appeared, the waiata kori (action song) is flourishing among kapa haka groups up and down Aotearoa. Māori Action Songs is the classic introduction to this distinctive art form – ideal for teachers, groups or individuals.  This new, totally redesigned edition presents a concise introduction to the important elements of the songs, and outlines in simple terms 30 songs for different occasions with words, music and actions described in easy-to-follow diagrams.” (Catalogue)

Haka : a living tradition / Gardiner, Wira
“A source of pride or a source of controversy, the Haka is an integral part of New Zealand’s culture. One of the most identifiable symbols of New Zealand, most people know little of the history, variation or meaning of this powerful challenge. This work aims to explain it all.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Ngā tatangi a te whare karioi = That special place where uniquely Māori sounds are created / Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival
“A record of the key events of Festival 2009″ — Chairman’s introd.” (Catalogue)

 

 

The greatest haka festival on earth / Tahau-Hodges, Pania
“It’s national kapa haka competition time again, and this Māori performing arts festival is a big event! It needs planning, tactics and dedication – and that’s just for the people watching! Nan’s a hardcore kapa haka follower, and she shows her mokopuna all the tricks to get the best seats, find the choicest pāua and whitebait fritters, hunt out the coolest poi and pounamu, and meet the star performers. And all along, Nan’s keeping a big secret that’s only revealed when the star performer does Nan’s amazing signature poi move – and her group wins the competition”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)

The girls in the kapahaka / Belcher, Angie
“A children’s kapahaka group prepare for a kapahaka with the help of their whanau. Includes glossary of Māori terms. Suggested level: junior, primary.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival 2009, 19-22 February / Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival
Includes brief biographies of judges, emcees and kapa haka teams.
Chiefly in English with some text in Māori.

Nga Waiata me nga haka a te kapa haka o Te Whare Wananga o Waikato
Māori songs with English translations.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi – 6th February events

Books about the Treaty, superimposed over the harbourHere in Wellington we’re far away from Waitangi where the official Waitangi Day commemorations happen every year. But did you know that we’re lucky enough to be able to visit the Treaty itself locally at the He Tohu exhibition at the National Library?

He Tohu is a permanent exhibition of three Aotearoa New Zealand constitutional documents, and preserves these powerful taonga for future generations. The three documents are:

  • He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (1835)
    Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand
  • Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840)
    Treaty of Waitangi
  • The Women’s Suffrage Petition (1893)
    Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine

On Waitangi Day this year you can visit the National Library for a 30-minute guided tour exploring this multi-award winning exhibition. Tours begin on the hour and half hour between 10am and 4pm, and there’s much more happening besides.

As part of the commemorations, our own He Matapihi Library (housed on-site at the National Library), will be open for the day for browsing, and will have two arts and crafts sessions open for children and their families:

  • Weaving: 10:30-11:15am
  • DIY Māori Treasure Box: 1:30-2:15 pm

Please note: He Matapihi will be the only Wellington City Libraries branch open on Waitangi Day — all other branches will be closed for the public holiday.

The National Library have a full day of activities planned so there will be lots more to see and do, including:

  • Arts and crafts activities for the whole whānau
  • Historical footage of Waitangi Day commemorations curated by Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision
  • Te reo Māori pronounciation and waiata workshops
  • View an installation of four giant banners featuring Treaty signatories, including local rangatira Te Wharepōuri

Waitangi Day 2023 at the National Library

Don’t forget you can find more information about Waitangi Day events happening across the city on the Wellington City Council website.

Browse our collection below:

The Treaty of Waitangi / Calman, Ross
“The best basic introduction to the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document; it summarizes the history of the Treaty and race relations in New Zealand/ Aotearoa How well do any of us know what the Treaty document means? In this easy-to-follow book, Ross Calman looks at what New Zealand was like before the Treaty and how this important document has effected the way we live now.” (Catalogue)

The Treaty of Waitangi / Orange, Claudia
“Today the Treaty has come to signify what both joins and divides the people of this country. It had different meanings also to those present at the 1840 signing -the new arrivals and the tangatawhenuathen occupying the land. To the British, it was the means by which they gained sovereignty over the country; for Maori, it represented something closer to partnership. That these distinct meanings were conveyed in texts written in different languages only added to the complexities now woven around this crucial agreement.Claudia Orange’s remarkable history was first published in 1987. ” (Catalogue)

Treaty of Waitangi : questions and answers
” Covering many historical and contemporary issues, it is for people who want to gain a basic knowledge about the Treaty of Waitangi and its implications, as well as for those who want to refresh and update their understanding. It includes a summary of legislation and events since 1840 which have breached the Treaty, and a comprehensive reading list for further information. ” (Catalogue)

Treaty of Waitangi settlements
“The settlement of iwi claims under the Treaty of Waitangi has been a prominent feature of New Zealand’s political landscape over the last thirty years. In this timely book, leading scholars offer the first analysis of the economic and social impact of the settlement process.” (Catalogue)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Morris, Toby
“Ground-breaking full-colour graphic novel about Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi. Accessible, engaging, image-rich design. Dual-language flip book with Maori and Pakeha authors Ross Calman and Mark Derby. Text in te reo Maori version developed by Maori Language Commission-registered translator Piripi Walker. Reviewed by some of Aotearoas foremost Te Tiriti o Waitangi experts to reflect current scholarship. Includes a link to both versions of the treaty translated into thirty other languages and New Zealand Sign Language.” (Catalogue)

Treaty to Treaty : a history of early New Zealand from the Treaty of Tordesillas 1494 to the Treaty of Waitangi 1840 / Bennett, R. S.
“This book is a large & detailed history of early NZ and includes events elsewhere in the world that have had an effect on this country. The size of this project and the author’s wish to bring to the fore interesting and important material not covered in other historical work has necessitated the production of three volumes rather than the one as originally intended. Volume One contains essays on background topics.” (Catalogue)

Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts and Te Matatini – Part 3

Haere mai and welcome to the third blog in our ‘Te Whare Tapere to Kapa Haka and Māori Concert Party’ series. You can find Part One, and Part Two here.

The modern kapa haka competitions began around the time of the first Waitangi Day celebrations in 1934:

Ngapuhi performance at Waitangi, 1934 — NZHistory.net

The Polynesian Festivals were held at Rotorua, 1972 and 1976. Regional teams took part, but also present were Pacific rōpū until 1983 when the festivals became the Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival.

In 1976, rōpū representing Guam and Australia attended the festival. Guam had become an unincorporated territory of USA in August 1950, and its contribution to the festival revealed an almost complete annihilation of the indigenous culture. The rōpū’s waiata-ā-ringa including the shooting down of Japanese invader planes (30 years after the end of WWII), and the singing of the current USA pop song (in English) of ‘How much is that doggie in the window’.

The Aboriginal rōpū told their stories in dramatic role plays backed by their instruments such as didgeridoo — they didn’t stand in kapa / lines for their cultural performances at all.

The Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival existed between 1983 and 2004.

Have watch of the Iwi Anthems television programme, which began screening on Māori Television in 2013:

Watch episodes of Iwi Anthems

Every iwi has an anthem, they are the waiata and haka we love to perform at gatherings. Our iwi anthems tell unique stories about our tribes revealing who we are and what’s important to us.

The competitions rotated from marae to marae setting, with tribal influences dominant in each iwi/hapū territory. The iwi anthems became signature tunes for the respective iwi, with perpetuation of dialect specific to their region. With the influence of migrations to urban centres in search of jobs and upskilling (by trade training, nursing, etc) there was a move to pan-tribal rōpū with pan-tribal influences for members, composers, tutors.

Watch a video from Te Ara of Kapa haka group Te Waka Huia performing the whakaeke (entrance) at the 1996 Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival:

Video — Te Waka Huia, 1996

Te Rita Papesch has written an overview of those years in the book: The state of the Māori nation : twenty-first-century issues in Aotearoa, published in 2006:

“Kapa Haka” — Chapter 2 in State of the Māori nation : twenty-first-century issues in Aotearoa
“Dealing with a diverse range of issues that affect Maori living in modern-day New Zealand, State of the Maori Nation is a collection of 22 short and informative essays drawn from Maori commentators, historians, teachers, researchers and academics working across the country in all manner of industries. This is a book with something for everyone — Maori and Pakeha, men and women, young and old — and gives a vision of a confident and capable people moving from strength to strength within every aspect of contemporary New Zealand society. The subjects covered in the book include: kapa haka […]” (Catalogue)

Te Matatini was formed in 2004, and the competition has now moved to a handful of centralised city settings – influenced by underlying economic factors such as the large size of the moveable stage, and the cost of hosting the competitions. But there has also, lately, been a return to the telling of tribal stories alongside themes of world-wide concerns.

Te Matatini performances have become dramatic, passionate, fluid, and topical in the stories they bring to the stage, but the staunch tutors and leaders of the kapa haka teams declare the centre of Kapa Haka lies, and must always lie, with the care and attention to the reo within these cultural performances, even where a regimented “correct” body poses of the past ideals are no longer of paramount importance.

Watch Hikurangi‘s Te Matatini performance in 2019. Here is the signature waiata of Ngāti Porou – where the rangi and costumes honour the legacy of Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa Ngarimu, but the actions, foot, arm, hip movements are vigorous, “lively” and far from “traditional”:

Hikurangi’s kapa haka legacy continues — Article and video

“Aspiring to preserve the waiata, traditions and legacy of their kapa, Hikurangi is one of the longest-standing kapa in the country, having been established in 1934.”

Further books from our shelves:

Haka : te tohu o te whenua rangatira = the dance of a noble people / Kāretu, T. S. (1993)
Timoti Karetu describes the various types of haka and their different roles in Māori customs.

Mātāmua ko te kupu! : te haka tēnā! te wana, taku ihi e, pupuritia / Kāretu, T. S. (2020)
“[Sir Tīmoti Kāretu] is also an unrivalled creator of waiata and haka, composing songs and judging at Te Matatini and other events. In this book, Sir Timoti shares his extensive experience in the artforms of haka and waiata – from Maori songs of the two world wars to the rise of kapa haka competitions, from love songs to action songs, from Sir Apirana Ngata to Te Puea Herangi, and from Te Matatini to contemporary hui on marae.” (Catalogue)

Kia Rōnaki = The Māori performing arts
“In the last thirty years there has been an explosion of interest in the Māori performing arts but until now there has been no general book written in English or Māori about the Māori performing arts by Māori authors and exponents of the various genres. This new work, Kia Rōnaki: The Māori Performing Arts, edited by John Moorfield, Tania Ka’ai and Rachael Ka’ai-Mahuta, brings together the expertise of a range of performance artists and academics, consolidating their knowledge into a comprehensive single volume that will be of relevance to all those interested in the Māori performing arts.” (Catalogue)

Haka : a living tradition / Gardiner, Wira

Chapter “Kapa Haka as a web of cultural meanings” by Hector Kaiwai, in Cultural studies in Aotearoa New Zealand : identity, space and place

Kapa haka mai rānō ki tēnei wā, has been important to iwi on several levels — as a driver of perfection in te reo, as a way of carrying through stories pūrākau and traditions of the past, and now, as a way of raising awareness of current local and global issues.

Kia kaha te reo Māori — mō āke tonu atu.

Read more: