By Rowan Light. Published by Bridget Williams Books, 2023. Reviewed by Marie Skidmore

This short book critically reviews how we in Aotearoa have acknowledged our past via our recorded history and our commemorations. Author Rowan Light reminds us that when we remember as a collective group we are often prompted to acknowledge powerful moral and social imperatives. Light stresses the importance of memory and its power to make life meaningful and increase our sense of belonging.

Case studies of events which have given rise to dispute and controversy are used to illustrate how we’ve fallen short in our remembering, eg, the vandalism of Captain Cook statues in Tūranganui-a-Kiwi. Events such as these clearly reflect our need to encompass different expressions of meaning by integrating the many threads of various groups’ experience — especially when recording events of colonisation. As a reader, I found I was encouraged to reflect on what we have chosen to commemorate publicly and the impact that has had on my personal development, and to question what we have ignored.

Why Memory Matters is timely as we prepare to commemorate the bicentenary of the Treaty of Waitangi. It is particularly useful for those preparing public events to recognise local history. It urges them to ensure memories are shared in a more truthful and inclusive manner.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 296 September 2024: 26