New books in the Library/Pukapuka hou i te Whare Pukapuka
Celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori by highlighting some tino pai/excellent pukapuka. Some of them are not brand new in here but deserve the kōrero. I have used both the Te Reo Māori and Tikanga books along my own journey of understanding and found them very helpful. Tying beautifully into Māori tikanga is te Te Taiao Māori and the natural world pukapuka. Te Ao Māori witness te whenua/land, te aorangi/universe and tangata whenua/people and how we could/should/used to live together in harmony and te reo Māori reflects this relationship. It is published by Te Ara/the encyclopedia of New Zealand and is such a fabulous resource. Kāwai is hot off the Press. I began to pānui/read this whilst cataloguing it – and have been immediately drawn in. Look out for a link below to the RNZ interview with the kaituhi/author.
Kāwai / Monty Soutar (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Kahungunu)
This epic historical adventure tells the story of pre-colonial Aotearoa New Zealand like it’s never been told before. A young Māori man, compelled to learn the stories of his ancestors, returns to his family marae on the east coast of the North Island to speak to his elderly grand-uncle, the keeper of the stories. What follows is the enthralling account of the young man’s tipuna, the legendary warrior Kaitanga, after whom his marae’s whare puni has been named.
Tracing the author’s own ancestral line, Kawai: for such a time as this reveals a picture of an indigenous Aotearoa in the mid-18th century, through to the first encounters between Māori and Europeans. It describes a culture that is highly sophisticated with an immense knowledge of science, medicine and religion; proud tribes who live harmoniously within the natural world; a highly capable and adaptable people to whom family and legacy are paramount. However, it is also a culture illuminated by a brutal undercurrent of inter-generational vengeance, witchcraft and cannibalism. – Aotearoa Books website
Listen here to his interview on National Radio:
Te Reo Māori : the basics explained / David Kārena-Holmes
The use of te reo Māori in daily New Zealand life is snowballing, as is demand for resources to make learning the language efficient and enjoyable. This book helps answer that demand. Here in simple terms is a thorough guide to the building blocks of grammar in te reo, showing how to create phrases, sentences and paragraphs. After an introductory chapter on pronunciation and written forms of the language, the following chapters introduce the main base words, particles and determiners that guide their use. The book employs real-life examples to illustrate how Māori grammar works day to day. Te Reo Māori: The Basics Explained draws on David Karena-Holmes' decades of experience teaching and writing about Māori language. Building on his previous works, this updated and expanded approach will be an essential companion for speakers of te reo at any level. - Wheeler’s website
The author was born in Dunedin and has been on a te reo Māori journey for over 40 years. He taught at the Department of Māori Studies at Otago University for 5 years and during that time identified a gap at the beginner level of Māori grammar – so he wrote this guide in order to help those starting out.
Tikanga : an introduction to te ao Māori / Keri Opai
The book we’ve all been needing for decades – a unique explanation of the world of Māoridom for Pakehā, and all others disconnected from the Māori world. Told with simple lucidity and great expertise, Keri Opai shares the spirit and meaning of what it is to be Māori in the 21st century, dispelling myths and misconceptions and providing a view of our tangata whenua that people from other cultures can understand and take pride in. – Upstart Press, Publishers
Keri Opai is a linguist, educator and the author of Te Reo Hapai, the seminal work in creating a Māori language glossary for mental health, disability and addiction. He was the first person to qualify as an official Te Reo translator, and advises widely on cultural issues
Te Tairo Māori and the natural world / Te Ara the encyclopedia of New Zealand
In traditional Māori knowledge, the weather, birds, fish and trees, sun and moon are related to each other, and to the people of the land, the tangata whenua. It is truly an interconnected world - a vast family of which humans are children of the earth and sky, and cousins to all living things. In this richly illustrated book, Māori 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. How did Māori describe and predict the weather, use the moon as a guide for successful fishing and planting, and celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year? How did they describe and move about their environment and survive. Discover forest lore and traditional uses of forest plants, how Māori hunted moa, harvested birds, fish and shellfish, and cultivated plants they brought with them from Polynesia. – Wheeler’s website
Research Website to check out:
https://kauwhatareo.govt.nz/en/this is the online te reo Māori resource hub. I have attached a short youtube video explaining what to find in this super useful and ātaahua website. Stop doing random searching and use this one place where you will hopefully find what you are looking for in all things Māori related. Ka pai!
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1403078039842512
And you can access the library website here at any time to see what else is new, search for items, reading lists and links to Research and Academic databases.