Tag: He Korero o te Wa

Make it your Māori New Year’s resolution to learn more about Matariki and Puanga!

Louise

Wellington City Library starts Māori New Year 2018 with this updated selection of books about Matariki and Puanga. We have also included some useful links that will take you to informative websites and digital resources. As Matariki continues its resurgence, and becomes an increasingly important part of New Zealand’s calendar, make it your Māori New Year’s resolution to learn more about Matariki and Puanga!

Syndetics book coverMatariki : the star of the year / Rangi Matamua.
“In mid-winter, Matariki rises in the pre-dawn sky. Based on research and interviews with Maori experts, this book seeks answers to questions such as What is Matariki? Why did Maori observe Matariki? How did Maori traditionally celebrate Matariki? When and how should Matariki be celebrated?and explores what Matariki was in a traditional sense so it can be understood and celebrated in our modern society.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Syndetics book coverPuanga, star of the Māori New Year: Ko Puanga-nui-ā-rangi te whetū mātāmua o te tau hou Māori: nānā i ārahi i ā Matariki tana tuahine tō muri iho / by Sam T. Rerekura. B.Ed., Dip. Tchg, Dip. Film & TV, Cert. Tertiary Teaching.
“Most of the tribes of the Maori people in Aotearoa observed Puanga to mark the beginning of the Maori New Year. Through the study of the oral literature we are able to gaze into the past to understand how Maori perceived the star Puanga in ancient times.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Image from FishpondMatariki : the Māori New Year / Libby Hakaraia.
“A general introduction to Matariki looking at: mythology, Maori and western perspectives; around the world – ancient constellation recognised in Greece (Pleiades) and in the Pacific (Matali’i, Mataliki, etc); celebrations; navigation;  planting and harvesting; and Matariki today – ways to celebrate.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Syndetics book coverCelebrating the southern seasons : rituals for Aotearoa / Juliet Batten.
“In the tenth anniversary edition of this unique work, author Juliet Batten sheds more light on customs, symbols and meanings attached to seasonal changes. She reports on Matariki and other forms of celebration that New Zealanders have inherited, found, devised and adapted. She also suggests readings, myths and stories to enrich our holidays.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Syndetics book coverNight skies above New Zealand / Vicki Hyde.
“From the Matariki celebrations of the Maori new year to Captain Cook’s search for accurate longitude, people in Aotearoa/New Zealand have always looked to the skies. Night Skies Above New Zealand tells of our astronomical heritage from the early voyagers to the research being undertaken today. The book provides a thorough yet readable introduction to the skies of the southern hemisphere and current astronomical knowledge, from the formation of our solar system to the violent death of giant stars.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Image from FishpondTātai arorangi, Māori astronomy : Work of the gods / Kay Leather and Richard Hall. Kay Leather and Richard Hall explore astronomy through a Maōri lens.  Myth cycles are discussed and star charts are included along with a comprehensive glossary.

Syndetics book coverTe kāhui o Matariki : contemporary Māori art of Matariki / edited by Libby Hakaraia and Colleen Waata Urlich ; photography by Norman Heke.
“This beautifulbook contains contemporary artwork, photography, poetry and short writings including personal experiences of Matariki – the Maori New Year. It also contains an introduction and background to Matariki. The artists include painters, sculptors, photographers, weavers, and carvers.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Syndetics book coverA concise encyclopedia of Maori myth and legend / Margaret Orbell.
“Based on The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend this is a concise guide to Maori myths and legends, religious beliefs, folklore and history. More than 300 entries, arranged alphabetically, reveal the subtlety and complexity of the traditional Maori view of the world, and a large index provides cross-referencing.” (Syndetics summary)

Syndetics book coverTe taiao: Māori and the natural world.
“In this richly illustrated book, Maori scholars and writers share the traditional knowledge passed down the generations by word of mouth. It provides a unique window on the relationship of the people of this land with their environment, as well as the profound knowledge and necessary skills they needed to survive here.” (Syndetics summary)

Syndetics book coverThe seven sisters of the Pleiades : stories from around the world / Munya Andrews.
“The legends of the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades that poets, priests, prophets, shamans, storytellers, artists, singers, and historians have told throughout time are retold in this compilation of the stories that have found their inspiration in nine beautiful stars clustered together in the night sky. Serious astronomical research complements the variety of mythological explanations for the stars’ existence by providing the modern world’s scientific understanding of them.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Te mahi māra hua parakore : a Māori food sovereignty handbook / nā Jessica Hutchings.
“Jessica Hutchings (hua parakore gardener, activist, academic and certified Te Waka Kai Ora grower) explains the political implications of the decisions that we make about growing and eating kai. She encourages us to take control over the food security of our whanau, providing practical advice on how to grow kai in accordance with the kaupapa of hua parakore, inspiring us with stories of hua parakore heroes and reassuring us that becoming a hua parakore gardener is a journey that anyone can embark on.”(Syndetics summary)

Further books to explore:

The illustrated encyclopedia of Maori myth and legend / Margaret Orbell.

The astronomical knowledge of the Māori genuine and empirical : including data concerning their systems of astrogeny, astrolatry, and natural astrology, with notes on certain other natural phenomena / by Elsdon Best.

Māori agriculture : the cultivated food plants of the natives of New Zealand : with some account of native methods of agriculture, its ritual and origin myths / by Elsdon Best.

Matariki : te whetũ o te tau=Aotearoa Pacific New Year.

Useful websites:

Te Ara: The Encylopaedia of New Zealand: Matariki

Ministry for Culture and Heritage: Matariki

Te Papa: Matariki

NASA: The Pleiades

Dr George S Evans : a life

Ann

Recently I breathed in the gentle gentility of the Wellington Club, The Terrace, whilst held in awe of Helen Riddiford’s meticulous and deeply researched account of the New Zealand Company’s finest member, Dr George Samuel Evans.

geo1By evening’s end, there were surely more than the just the two of us who would attest to his right to be named Wellington’s founding father, – a man who stood tall on the principles and the application of the Company’s constitution and held a desire to include tangata whenua in te ao hurihuri, / an evolving new life. In the words of one of our two official languages – here was a man truly worthy of the description: he kōtuku rerenga tahi.

For all the sentiments expressed above – how many people , today, remember any details of this man who gave his name to that inner bay (Evans’s / Evans Bay) and whose contribution to the settlement placed him second only to Colonel Wakefield, in his roles, which included that of chief judicial authority for the new colony.

When Edward Gibbon Wakefield accompanied Lord Durham to Canada, it was Dr Evans who stepped forward to place his hand firmly on the tiller of the colonial ship.

But who was this man? George Evans grew up in a household where civil and religious liberty was embraced. He was a brilliant scholar who excelled in Latin, Greek and Hebrew – His later work spanned the fields of education, judiciary and journalism. In 1928 he became, briefly, headmaster of Mill Hill School, London.

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(Source: School House at Mill Hill School : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Hill_School)

It was here that he met school matron Mrs Riddiford, whose husband passed away in 1829. George and Harriet married, 16 January 1930, and George became the stepfather of Amelia (13 years) and Daniel (16 years) – he, Daniel, who was to become the founder of the Riddiford farming dynasty at Orongorongo and the stations around the Wairarapa coast of New Zealand.

There is so much detail of Evans’ life within the pages of this book. There’s the interesting story of his involvement with Nayti and Hiakai, two passengers on the Mississippi who became stranded at Le Havre, were rescued by the New Zealand Association and provided with lodgings by Wakefield and Evans, in the 1830s. With Hiakai’s help George Evans was introduced to Māori customs and reo. He began a grammar of Te Reo Māori, which was completed in 1839, but never officially published. Wellington City Central Library holds a copy of this Manuscript of a Maori grammar.

The top view stretches across Thorndon Flat with Dr Evans’ house on the left, a range of early houses and businesses along the waterfront and on the right, Colonel William Wakefield’s house with flagpole.

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(Source: Brees, Samuel Charles, 1810-1865 :Pictorial Illustrations of New Zealand. London, John Williams and Co., Library of Arts, 141, Strand, 1847.. Ref: PUBL-0020-22. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22816178)

Dr Evans fulfilled a designated role as advocate for Māori in all legal disputes – with varying degrees of success. Helen’s easy- read documentation of Dr Evans life and work in the new colony makes this book an absolute must for those of us mindful of the view – that you must first understand and embrace the past in order to move forward.

The study of the settlement of Wellington is a very complex exercise – but – don’t be confined only to those official publications — the reports and commissions, and records of deeds of release – Here lies, within these pages, the flavour of that era. This is a far more interesting journey by way of Helen’s archival research and her detailed account of Dr Evans work.

Dr Evans returned to England, 1846-52, and was dealt to harshly by the Company, in clearing the debts on his town and country sections in Wellington. It was an example of Wakefield’s ‘ability’ to turn against his closest allies.

George Evans and Harriet moved to Melbourne, 1853. He planned to undertake legal work but also began working with the Melbourne Morning Herald. He later gained a seat in the legislative assembly. His journalistic output was legendary. George and Harriet returned to New Zealand, 1865, but Harriet died 31 March 1866, and Dr Evans’ death followed in 1868.

In the words of Helen Riddiford “In the colonies he was head and shoulders above many of his peers in education and ability. He operated within an influential network of men, but was always independent in his views, which isolated him from many of his contemporaries. He was viewed as a ‘singular character’ a gentleman almost unique in this setting. His many visionary ideas were handicapped by a volatile temperament and principles that were compromised by circumstances, an unpredictable man of reckless courage whose steadfast commitment to the creation and success of Wellington was fully acknowledged after his death. Amongst others, The Independent noted that he was ‘one of the founders, if not the real founder of this colony. There is scarcely an official document of the period in which [his] name is not conspicuous”.

Here was a man truly worthy of the title bestowed by his Māori friends – Nui, Nui Rangatira

Jock McEwen: He kōtuku rerenga tahi

Ann

Orongomai Marae, Upper Hutt was the chosen place for a very special evening on Monday 17 October – the launch of the book Te Oka – Pākehā kaumātua : the life of Jock McEwen written by Mary McEwen.

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“He lived by the philosophy of ‘saying little and doing much’”

We speak sometimes of special people amongst us who have travelled successfully in two worlds. Quite often there follows the story of one such- of a minority culture who has seamlessly stood tall and proud not only in his/her own culture but also in the mainstream – i.e. – Pākehā or Palagi world.

Jock McEwen was living proof of that the reverse may well occur.

Whanaungatanga
On Monday many dear friends and relatives of Jock McEwen gathered to honour a man whose ancestral roots were in Scotland and Perthshire, but whose great-grandparents reached these shores in the very early days of the new colony at Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

One ancestor – not admired by Māori, was John Bryce who led the Pāhuatanga – the destruction of Parihaka, 5 November, 1881 and others of Jock’s family became fluent speakers of Te Reo.

Whanaketanga
But Jock began his school days at Taonui, where his father was headmaster at the local school – which lay very close to Aorangi Marae. It was there, through the guidance of Meihana Te Rama-Apakura, and Kahurautete, and their whānau that he began to absorb te reo , te māoritanga me he kōrero nehe, tō te iwi who would later inspire his writing of the book Rangitane.

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At a very early age, inspired by carvings at the wharenui of Ngāti Kauwhata, he began his lifelong interest in whakairo, creating a patu which he deemed appropriate for himself as leader of the Feilding Boy Scouts’ haka. At secondary school, he excelled in languages – English, French and Latin, but the depression deprived him of the opportunity to leave school to take up, immediately, a university bursary and so he began his university studies whilst still at Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

Tū Rangatira
Please take the time to track down this biography, to acquaint yourself with the details of the life of this unique man, – hei whānaunga, hei kāiarahi, hei kaimahi kawanatanga – including Niue, his niche at Māori Affairs, his work with inmates at Wi Tako prison, his development of a carving school.

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Important to him were his roles as a founding member of Ngāti Poneke Young Māori Club, – his involvement with Kingi Tahiwi in composing and supporting waiata in Wellington and later, his huge mahi within the community at Upper Hutt and in the creation of an urban marae – Orongomai , where, along with Dovey Katene-Horvath, he assisted Māwai Hakona Māori Club to became a force to be reckoned with, in the development of regional and national cultural competitions.

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Māwai Hakona : Upper Hutt City Library : Recollect : 1989 05 30 2 (Creative Commons)

This book invites us to understand the immense contribution that Jock McEwen made to the lives of all New Zealanders.

Most people – however much revered – are, in death, more or less ‘replaceable’ in the continuum of life on earth – Jock, himself, came close to proving that there are some who are not.
Six years after his death we are blessed with this story written by his daughter-in-law, Mary McEwen.

Kua wheturangitia a Te Oka, i te korowai o Ranginui.

Māoriland Festival

Stephanie A

The Māoriland Film Festival kicks off in Otaki later this month and we think you will want to be there!! Running from 23-27 March, the festival is the largest indigenous film festival in the Southern Hemisphere and will feature films from the Marshall Islands, USA and Canada, while also showcasing Māori cinema from Aotearoa. You can see the list of feature films and the film schedule here and follow the festival blog here. My pick for the festival is Three Wise Cousins; check out the trailer below!

Well-known New Zealand films The Dark Horse and The Deadlands both featured in the 2015 Māoriland festival and are both available at the library:

The Dead LandsThe dead lands / a Matthew Metcalfe production ; a Toa Fraser film.
After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, Hongi, a Maori chieftain’s teenage son, must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious Warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.

The Dark HorseThe dark horse / Four Knights Film in association with The New Zealand Film Commission [and six others] present ; a film by James Napier Robertson.
The Dark Horse is an emotionally-charged and inspiring drama about a man who searches for the courage to lead, despite his own adversities – finding purpose and hope in passing on his gift to the children in his community.

Dr Ranginui Walker, 1932-2016

wclstaff

New Zealand recently lost a prominent Māori leader when historian, academic and champion of the Māori language and customs Dr Ranginui Walker died aged 83 in Auckland on the 28th February this year.

There is an obituary for Dr Walker displayed by the biographies in the Māori Collection on the 2nd floor at the Central library. A screen showing video footage of some of his interviews and speeches is also situated in the Māori Collection.

A highly esteemed academic who dedicated much of his life to documenting historical events of significance from a uniquely Māori perspective. ‘Ka whawhai tonu mātou: Struggle without end’ is his most well known book and documents two centuries of the Māori struggle for justice, equality and self-determination.

Syndetics book coverKa whawhai tonu mātou = Struggle without end / Ranginui Walker. This is a revised edition of Dr Ranginui Walker’s best-selling history of Aotearoa, New Zealand, from a Māori perspective. Since the mid-nineteenth century, Māori have been involved in an endless struggle for justice, equality and self-determination. In this book Dr Walker provides a uniquely Māori view, not only of the events of the past two centuries but beyond to the very origins of Māori people. In this updated edition Dr Walker has added new chapters covering the years from 1990, the flowering of the Māori culture and the growth of Māori political and economic power. Recent issues such as the foreshore and seabed legislation, the hikoi and Don Brash’s Orewa speech are discussed.

Dr Walker was born on 1 March 1932 into a farming family belonging to the Whakatōhea iwi of Opotiki. He was educated at St Peter’s Māori College in Auckland and trained and worked as a primary school teacher for 10 years. He then studied for
a Bachelor of Arts degree at Auckland University which he completed in 1962. He started lecturing at Auckland University in 1967 and this was the start of his academic career specialising in anthropology, education, and Māori studies. He took his doctorate in 1970, eventually becoming a full professor and head of the department of Māori studies. He retired from the university in 1998, having served at its first Māori pro-vice chancellor.

Dr Walker was a member of the New Zealand Māori Council and a foundation member of the World Council of Indigenous People, secretary and later chairman of the Auckland District Māori Council. In 2001, Ranginui Walker was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and he was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2003. He received a number of awards for his literary works, which included a Prime Minister’s Literary Award and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Auckland.

Auckland University Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon said Dr Walker would be recognised as one of the greatest Māori academics of his time, and called him an interpreter between Māori and Pakeha.

“He worked between those worlds and was committed to not only to Māori in this country but to the country as a whole and to its furtherance through education, so he was certainly a person who could build bridges, who could interpret between different paths and aspects of New Zealand.”

Ngāpuhi Leader Hone Sadler shared Dr Walker’s love of education.

“His tongue was sharp as a sword and he didn’t mind using it because if there was something good or right that would come out of the conversation, he was prepared he wasn’t someone that would hold back,” said Mr Sadler.

You can read more about his life in the Paul Spoonley biographical Mata toa : the life and times of Ranginui Walker.

Syndetics book coverMata toa : the life and times of Ranginui Walker / Paul Spoonley.
“Author, biographer, historian, academic, commentator, rangatira, activist, leaders… Professor Ranginui Walker has been in the headlines for decades, ever since the beginnings of the Māori political and cultural renaissance in the 1970s. Walker is one of the few Māori leaders to assume the responsibility of crossing the cultural divide and making the Māori world intelligible to Pākehā. Articulate and forthright, he has a major influence on how Pākehā view Māori in the twenty-first century. He has also led many of the debates and developments among Māoridom. His numerous books include the bestselling KA WHAWHAI TONU MATOU: STRUGGLE WITHOUT END and HE TIPUA, his highly acclaimed biography of Sir Apirana Ngata. Paul Spoonley’s fascinating book is in part a biography of one of New Zealand’s most significant social commentators and also a social/political commentary of the huge changes in the position of Māori in modern New Zealand.” (Syndetics review)

Other books written by Dr Ranginui Walker include:

Syndetics book coverOpotiki-Mai-Tawhiti : capital of Whakatohea / Walker, Ranginui.
“This is a tribal history of Māori scholar Ranginui Walker’s own iwi, Whakatohea of Opotiki, with the emphasis on the epic events of the nineteenth century and the tribe’s subsequent struggle for social justice.” (Syndetics summary)

Syndetics book coverTohunga whakairo : Paki Harrison : the story of a master carver / Ranginui Walker.
“Paki Harrison is widely regarded as New Zealand’s greatest living master carver, a man with a huge reputation as a leading tohunga of the art form. He possesses immense knowledge about the traditional arts of the carver, extending way beyond the actual physical arts to include its most ancient aspects – the symbolism contained in Māori art, to its role in transmitting old tribal history. Few know more about the symbolism of the waka taua (war canoe), whare whakairo (carved meeting houses) and kōwhaiwhai patterns. This major biography by Ranginui Walker traces Paki Harrison’s life and work, from his privileged upbringing in the Ngāti Porou household of his grandmother, where he was singled out for special training.” (Adapted from publisher description)

Nga pepa a Ranginui = The Walker Papers / Ranginui Walker.
“Eleven of Dr Walker’s papers are printed. They deal with general issues, such as Taha Māori or tino rangatiratanga, and with specific topical issues such as the fiscal envelope or the fisheries deal. There is a section of photographs in the centre. Dr Walker has written several books, including ‘Struggle without end’, the history of Aotearoa from a Māori perspective.” (Syndetics summary)

Nga tau tohetohe = years of anger / Ranginui Walker.
“A selection of Kōrero columns from the New Zealand listener, edited by Jacqueline Amoamo.” (Syndetics summary)

Mahana

Stephanie A

Mahana, a movie based on renowned author Witi Ihimaera’s much-loved book Bulisbasha, opens this week in cinemas and I am extremely excited to see it. Here’s the trailer, which is bound to get you excited to see it too:

It was first hinted at over a year ago (we told you about it here!) and it is so great to finally see it hitting cinemas.

If you want to read the book before you see the movie, we recommend you get in quick as it’s already proving popular! Place your reserves here:

Cover from SyndeticsBulibasha : king of the gypsies / Witi Ihimaera.
“Witi Ihimaera’s first novel for six years. Two patriarchs on the East Coast of New Zealand fight for the title of king, and their families are involved in conflict in sport and culture, and in the Golden Fleece contest. Simeon, a teenager, is caught in the middle of the struggle. The novel was written when Witi Ihimaera was Katherine Mansfield Fellow in Menton.” (Syndetics summary)

Also, another Ihimaera book which has been made into a world-famous film:

Syndetics book coverThe whale rider / Witi Ihimaera.
“Witi Ihimaera’s timeless story tells how the courage of one girl in standing against the tide of tradition enables her tribe to become reconnected with their ancestral life force. The Whale Rider has become one of Witi Ihimaera’s best-loved stories, capturing readers with its universal themes of conflict between generations and genders, respect for nature, family love and personal courage. Now the movie adaptation, Whale Rider, has brought the story to an international audience. This special edition of Ihimaera’s original novel includes a section of photos from the movie, a bonus for moviegoers and readers alike.” (Syndetics summary)

Cover from Aro VideoWhale rider [videorecording] / a film by Niki Caro.
“A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.” (Library catalogue)

Ihimaera’s novel Nights in the Gardens of Spain was also developed into a feature film called Kawa (originally also titled Nights in the Gardens of Spain) and is most definitely worth a watch (and a read!). You can get them both out here:

Nights in the gardens of SpainNights in the gardens of Spain / Witi Ihimaera.
“A novel in which David Munro, the narrator, seems successful in marriage and in his career as a lecturer in film studies. He leads a double life, being married and gay, and the novel explores the resolution of the dilemma, the conflicting loyalties he has to deal with. The novel describes aspects of gay life, and the difficulties of developing relationships. It is very aware of the devastation of AIDS. The novel was written while Witi Ihimaera was Katherine Mansfield Fellow in Menton.” (Syndetics summary)

Cover from Aro VideoNights in the gardens of Spain [videorecording] / Cinco Cine Film Productions Ltd and Conbrio Media Ltd.
“This feature film adaptation of Witi Ihimaera’s iconic novel about David, a successful businessman who inexplicably estranges himself from his wife and children. Turns out, he is having an affair with a young male actor and is torn between living that life or the one that he is expected to live by his immediate and extended family. Complicating matters is his family’s deep roots in the Maori culture, which disapproves of homosexuality. For a while, the family suspects that David is seeing a woman. But one night, the actor unexpectedly shows up at David’s family compound, where his mother catches the two in a passionate embrace. She immediately banishes David from the compound, leading him to reveal the truth to all who are important to him.” (Library catalogue)