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  • Title: He Iti te Kupu: Māori Metaphors and Similes Author: Hona Black ISBN: 978-0-947506-91-9 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 210 x 148 mm portrait, PB, 232 pp Published: 4 February 2021 WINNER: NZSA New Zealand Literary Heritage Awards 2021, Te Reo Māori section The Book: He Iti te Kupu contains nearly 500 sayings that draw a comparison between something (often the natural world) and people, events or contexts. Written in Māori and English, this accessible guide explains the use, meaning and context of a host of the principal figures of speech in te Reo.

    Divided into themes, including birds of the land and sea, parts of the body, acknowledgements, animals and insects.

    The title derives from the proverb, ‘The words are small, yet their meanings are substantial,’ highlighting the importance of these sayings in the landscape of Māori language learning and speaking.

    This volume will prove to be an invaluable resource for beginning and advanced learners of te Reo Māori.

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  • Title: Events in the Life of Phillip Tapsell Editor: Jonathan Adams ISBN: 978-0-947506-92-6 RRP: $45.00 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 252 pp, b&w Published: 6 May 2021 The Book: Hans Falk, born in 1790 in Copenhagen, took to the sea as a lad, changed his name to Phillip Tapsell, and after many adventures settled at Maketū in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. There he became the key trader for local iwi and married into the highest levels of Te Arawa, while helping other tribes to defend themselves against invasion from northern tribes. He was, in other words, one of the original Pākehā-Māori. Yet Tapsell’s life of daring is not well known today, and the memoirs he dictated to Edward Little shortly before his death were only ever published in newspaper form. Brought together, these make an important contribution to the history of the countries of his birth and death. Meticulously researched and edited by Dr Jonathan Adams, this book presents the original manuscript with close editing and annotation. Part 1 discusses Tapsell’s life and identity as a Pākehā-Māori; Part 2 reproduces his reminiscences as recorded by Little; and Part 3 summarises the key events in the story, examines the manuscript as an artefact, and includes accounts of Tapsell’s life and how that has been interpreted in Denmark.
  • Title: Blimmin’ Koro: Kātahi rā, e Koro e! Author: Jill Bevan-Brown Illustrator: Trish Bowles Translator: Māhaki Bevan-Brown ISBN: 978-0-947506-87-2 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, 32 pp, colour Published: 7 September 2021 For Teacher Resource: click here  For orders from outside New Zealand, email: sales@oratia.co.nz
    Kotukū notices her grandfather is becoming forgetful. He hides things around the house and has trouble talking. Is Koro sick? Step by step, Kotukū and her whānau learn about dementia and help Koro to adjust to the changes in his life.

    This bilingual story tells the story Koro’s changes and how his family adapt to look after him. What doesn’t change is their unwavering love for their grandad. Trish Bowles’ watercolour illustrations sensitively trace the family’s journey and help show dementia doesn’t mean the end of life.

  • Title: The Tunnel in our Backyard Author: Malcolm Paterson Illustrator: Hana Maihi ISBN: 978-0-947506-04-9 RRP: $22.99 Specs: 284 x 208 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 16 June 2016 For Teacher Resource: Click here The Book: A charming picture book, The Tunnel in our Backyard brings to life for children the connection with the land around them - a land full of stories and reminders of history. Jennifer and her whanau go to Te Atatu to help her cousin Tui’s family move house to Mount Albert. What they learn from Nanny on the way about Matariki and the Waterview Tunnel leads on to a big discovery once they reach Mount Albert – that old tunnels also run under here! Under the guidance of Nanny and new neighbour Tefere, the kids relive old and more recent history and follow in the giant footsteps of the ancestor Ruarangi from Mount Albert down to Meola Reef in Point Chevalier.
  • Title: The Forgotten Wars Why the Musket Wars matter today Author: Ron Crosby ISBN: 978-0-947506-79-7 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 208 pp, b&w with 16-pp colour Published: 14 October 2020 For Teacher Resource: Click here  The Book: Muskets, potatoes and other introductions fundamentally altered the balance of power in 19th-century Aotearoa, leading to inter-iwi conflicts over almost 40 years that claimed tens of thousands of lives (killing, wounding or displacing up to half of the Māori population). Distinguished author and lawyer Ron Crosby brilliantly rewrites his seminal The Musket Wars on a thematic basis, simplifying it to a concise new work full of maps and illustrations for the general reader. Years of presentations to schools and groups is reflected in this dynamic new approach. This important book will further understanding of how the boom of muskets continues to echo in New Zealand today. And it needs to — the wars are still neglected by government and glossed over by other histories. The Forgotten Wars ensures these epic conflicts will be remembered.

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  • Title: Te Reo Māori: The Basics Explained Author: David Kārena-Holmes ISBN: 978-0-947506-69-8 RRP: $34.99 Specs: 210 x 148 mm portrait, PB, 168 pp, b&w Published: 5 February 2020 The Book: 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, 17 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 at any level.

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  • Title: The Castle in our Backyard Author: Malcolm Paterson Illustrator: Leah Mulgrew ISBN: 978-1-877514-05-0 RRP: $22.99 Specs: 284 x 208 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: July 2010 The Book: Tui and his cousin Jennifer are much too busy playing a video game to want to visit Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill. But then Nanny Marei tells them the mountain’s got giants and fortresses, just like their game! Explore Maungakiekie with Tui and Jennifer as they travel back into its history – meeting the Goddess of Fire, Māori tribes, Chinese gardeners, Sir John Logan Campbell, and the tourists of today.
  • He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama A Little Spring in the World of Light: Towards an Indigenous Māori Theology Author: Pā Henare Tate ISBN: 978-1-99-004203-4 RRP: $80.00 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 320 pp Published: November 2012   NEW EDITION PUBLISHED 10 NOVEMBER 2021 The Book: How to reconcile the deeply held Christian beliefs of Māori with the indigenous world view that they have inherited and are in many cases rediscovering? This far-reaching work attempts to develop the foundations of an indigenous Māori theology. In Pa Tate’s opinion, the traditional Christian message has fallen short of speaking intimately and powerfully to Māori experience in Aotearoa. Māori are crying out for a form of Christianity that is ‘theirs’. This book offers one response and contribution to this call by attempting to develop a theology that Māori can call ‘ours’.
  • Title: Te Reo Kapekape: Māori Wit and Humour Author: Hona Black ISBN: 978-1-99-004237-9 RRP: $45.00 Specs: PB, 210 x 148 mm portrait, 308 pp, b&w Published: 1 September 2023

    Following on from the successful He Iti te Kupu: Māori Metaphors and Similes, Hona Black's new book explores the rich vein of humour in Māori life.

    Want to know how to call a silly person a ‘roro hipi / sheep’s brain’, or tell someone to get stuffed in te reo Māori? The answers are all in Te Reo Kapekape (literally, ‘the language of poking fun’), with more than 130 humorous and unique phrases in te reo and English that can be used to describe people, events and actions.

    The sayings are divided into four chapters — above the hip, below the hip, other phrases, and idioms. Using a cast of characters and dramatised dialogue, Hona explains each phrase and gives examples and suggestions for use — whether to tease, crack a joke or just add some flair to your daily use.

    This book is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to spice up their te reo or English with some fun and cheeky sayings, and will appeal to both language learners and fluent speakers of Māori.

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  • Title: Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand Author: David McGee; edited by Mary Harris and David Wilson ISBN: 978-0-947506-24-7 RRP: $75.00 Specs: 245 x 155 mm portrait, PB, 896 pp, black & white Ebook ISBN: 978-0-947506-27-8 Ebook RRP: $45.00 The Book: Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand is the definitive work on practice and procedure in the New Zealand House of Representatives. This fourth edition incorporates a decade of developments since the third edition in 2005, and reflects many significant changes in parliamentary law, practice and procedure, including:
    • the Parliamentary Privilege Act 2014
    • how the House and its committees conduct legislative and financial scrutiny
    • the use of extended sittings by the House
    • the increased role of the Business Committee to manage the transaction of parliamentary business
    • how the work of the House and its committees is communicated to the public.
    This new edition features an attractive design and accessible structure, with extensive indexing and references. The ebook is available from 24 May on leading online retailers including the Ibooks store, Amazon and Mebooks NZ ebooks.

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  • Title: Māori Place Names: Their Meanings and Origins Author: A.W. Reed Editor: Peter Dowling ISBN: 978-0-947506-08-7 RRP: $34.99 Specs: 210 x 148 mm portrait, PB, 152 pp, b&w Published: 5 July 2016 The Book: Pronounce and understand Māori place names with the new fourth edition of A.W. Reed’s classic guide to meanings and origins of names across New Zealand. From Ahaura to Whitianga, this handily sized book is the definitive guide to the most common and notable Māori names on our land. Why do Whangarei, Tauranga, Motueka and Timaru have the names they do? Why all the fuss about the spelling of Whanganui and Rimutaka? What are the original names for Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin? Māori Place Names gives concise and clear answers, as well as taking in curiosities like the world’s longest place name (pictured). The new Māori Place Names includes maps on the inside covers showing principal names, and also reproduces the illustrations from the original 1950 edition by renowned artist James Berry. For bookshelf, glove box or backpack, this is a must.

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  • Title: Kura Toa: Warrior School Author: Tim Tipene ISBN: 978-0-947506-17-9 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 210 x 148 mm portrait, PB, 92 pp, b&w Published: new edition 4 August 2016 The Book: High-school student Haki needs to find the pounamu that was stolen from him after a car crash by a mysterious old man who seems to know a lot about him. Haki’s search brings him into conflict with his family, his friends and his school. In the process he must confront his fears and find a way to answer the challenge to serve his people and his land, fight a taniwha, and grow into a warrior. Kura Toa is a superb read for students in the 12–16 age group that distils youth and indigenous issues into a seamless and easy-to-access narrative that has attracted a strong following in schools.

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  • Title: Ngā Hapa Reo: Common Māori Language Errors Authors: Hona Black & Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell ISBN: 978-1-99-004259-1 RRP: $39.99 Specs: PB, 210 x 148 mm portrait, 196 pp, b&w Publishing: 2 September 2024 Following on from the bestselling Te Reo Kapekape (2023) and He Iti te Kupu (2021), Hona Black's new book — co-authored with Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell — is an essential reference for any Māori learner or speaker. Surging interest in te reo Māori in recent years has led to a range of errors becoming common in classrooms and everyday use, many caused by language interference (following the patterns of English rather than te reo). This book sets out to correct that trend with easy-to-follow, fun examples of language errors. In six chapters focusing on different types of mistakes, the book directs readers to correct usages, numerous examples, and detailed explanations in both te reo and English. Ngā Hapa Reo is a stimulating read for anyone wanting to improve their command of te reo Māori, whether language learner or fluent speaker.
  • Title: The New Zealand Wars Series: The NZ Series Author: Matthew Wright ISBN: : 978-0-947506-93-3 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 108 pp, colour Published: 8 July 2021 For Teacher Resource: click here Why did the New Zealand Wars occur? Who fought them and how did they proceed? And where were these battles fought? In The New Zealand Wars, Matthew Wright answers these questions in probing text supported by  fact boxes and illustrations that make navigating these protracted wars easy. Building on his 2014 book on the same subject, Wright covers all of the wars’ major incidents, movements and people, including the Battle of Gate Pa, Pai Marire, and figures such as Colonel G.S. Whitmore and Te Kooti. He shows that the wars, which pitted British settlers and allied Māori against other Māori over a 30-year period, really ended up as a civil war fanning flames in many regions. The book features glossaries that explain military terms, and sidebars that explore subjects like ‘Did Māori invent trench warfare?’, and ‘Food, horrible food’. There are over 70 colour images, including of battle sites that we can visit today.
  • Series: The NZ Series Title: New Zealand Migration Author: Philippa Werry ISBN: 978-1-99-004239-3 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, colour Published: 14 November 2023 For Teacher Resource: click here ‘In a country inhabited for a mere thousand years, everyone is an immigrant or a descendant of an immigrant.’ – Michael King With six books now published, The NZ Series is a valuable non-fiction resource for general readers and schools, introducing complex subjects in simple, concise terms. In this seventh volume, Philippa Werry recounts the stories and experience of migration to Aotearoa — from the first Polynesian arrivals to the Dawn Raids, from the New Zealand Company to ten-pound Poms, from Dutch and Dalmatian refugees to today’s Asian Kiwi communities. Extensive illustrations and shared personal experiences bring to life an immigrant nation from a range of perspectives. New Zealand Migration will make an excellent introduction for understanding our migrant nation.
  • Title: Le Quesnoy 1918: New Zealand's Last Battle Author: Christopher Pugsley ISBN: 978-0-947506-49-0 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 297 x 210 mm portrait, PB, 168 pp (b&w with 8-pp colour) Publishing: 25 October 2018   UPDATED EDITION PUBLISHED 18 March 2020  REPRINTED WITH UPDATES 20 November 2022 The Book: The New Zealand Division’s capture of the French town of Le Quesnoy was its last and most successful action in the First World War. Breaking through defensive lines and scaling the town walls by ladder, the New Zealanders overwhelmed the defenders, freeing the town after years of German occupation.

    It was a victory that resounded around the world, and helped convince German high command they could no longer hold the front. Based on his intimate knowledge of the landscape and those involved, Dr Christopher Pugsley puts together the story with his mastery of drama and detail — producing a book that is thrilling at the same time as a tribute to the New Zealanders who died (and whose details are fully recorded here for the first time).

    Updated with additional information received from descendants since the first publication in October 2018, and with a new red cover to match, Le Quesnoy 1918 is an inspiring read of relevance to all New Zealanders.

  • Horouta

    $125.00
    Horouta The History of the Horouta Canoe, Gisborne and East Coast Author: Rongowhakaata Halbert ISBN: 978-0-947506-20-9 RRP: $125.00 Specs: 280 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 496 pp, b&w Published: November 2012 The Book: Horouta is the definitive history of the descendants of the voyaging canoes that brought the first settlers from Polynesia to the lands that stretch from East Cape to northern Hawke’s Bay. Assembled through painstaking historical and genealogical research over more than 70 years by Rongowhakaata Halbert and his family, this outstanding work of scholarship is destined to serve the needs of all New Zealanders, and especially the peoples of Gisborne and the East Coast, for generations to come.
  • Title: Auckland: The Twentieth-Century Story Author: Paul Moon ISBN:978-1-99-004235-5 RRP: $45.00 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 360 pp, b&w Published: 5 April 2023 Auckland in 1999 would have been unrecognisable to the city’s residents at the beginning of the twentieth century — the result of dramatic changes in populations, cultures, beliefs, aspirations and senses of itself. Auckland: The Twentieth-Century Story journeys through the mosaic of cultures and lifestyles, anxieties and hopes, disasters and triumphs, virtues and vices that led to this transformation. Drawing on diaries, oral history, newspapers and other media, Paul Moon explores themes including housing, gardening, the harbours, tangata whenua struggles, shopping culture, the immigrant experience and the pervading sense that Auckland was simultaneously at the edge of the world yet at its centre. Readers across New Zealand will experience many ‘Where were you when …?’ moments as they explore the changing landscapes of our largest city. Moon’s crisp writing gives readers everywhere a sense of a city that has felt triumph and failure but continues to develop so its citizens can proudly call it home.
  • Whakarongo ki ō Tūpuna Listen to your Ancestors Author: Darryn Joseph Illustrator: Munro Te Whata ISBN: 978-0-947506-62-9 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 32 pp, colour Published: 10 September 2019 WINNER: NZSA New Zealand Literary Heritage Awards 2020, Te Reo Māori section The Book: One night in June 2016, Massey University language lecturer Darryn Joseph sat in a hospital room minding a teacher who had become a dear friend and mentor to him. Darryn wrote her a poem of appreciation, kissed her hand and said goodbye; the next day she passed away. That poem is contained in Whakarongo ki ō Tūpuna/Listen to your Ancestors, which is written in te Reo Māori with English translation. The story follows a beloved teacher giving her pupils and grand-daughter guidance by directing them to follow the examples of Māori gods and ancestors. The book is illustrated by emerging artist Munro Te Whata, who has vividly brought to life settings in a school, the outdoors and a rest home in a colourful and fun style. Whakarongo ki ō Tūpuna teaches the values represented by Māori gods and ancestors, and provides a much-needed tool for reading in te Reo. And at its heart this is a story of love and respect, harking back to the friendship that inspired its writing.
  • Title: Te Whatu Tāniko — Tāniko Weaving: Technique and Tradition Author: Hirini Moko Mead ISBN: 978-0-947506-61-2 RRP: $45.00 Specs: 250 x 185 mm, PB, 136 pp b&w Published: 15 August 2019 Tāniko weaving is one of the supreme expressions of Māori art. Weaving and dyeing the fibres of native flax creates elaborate, beautiful patterns that are used to adorn clothing, with distinctive styles that have evolved over centuries of creativity.

    This has been the standard work on the subject since its first publication as Taniko Weaving in 1952. Since rewritten and updated, Te Whatu Tāniko provides the history and social context for weaving, as well as clear, practical guidelines for making tāniko.

    Using the book’s clear and concise graphs and drawings, readers can utilise this book to weave the beautiful patterns within. The instructions can be used as a beginner’s guide or a refresher resource, or simply to enjoy and admire this beautiful artform.

  • Title: Nanny Mihi and the Bellbird Author: Melanie Drewery Illustrator: Tracy Duncan ISBN: 978-0-947506-36-0 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 10 July 2018 Fact sheet for classroom use: Click here The Book: Every school holidays the kids go and stay with their nanny in her house by the sea. One morning (for some reason) Nanny Mihi gets the kids up early and they sit on the porch whistling a song until the sun comes up. Then they find out why – a bellbird appears and joins in the song. Whenever they come to stay after that, the bellbird is there to whistle the kids’ song. But in spring, there is no bellbird! What has happened? Nanny Mihi and the Bellbird is a charming story about love for family and nature, released for school holidays — a special time for kids and grandparents (and for parents as well). Nanny Mihi is back!
  • The Taniwha in our Backyard Author: Malcolm Paterson Illustrator: Martin Bailey ISBN: 978-0-947506-46-9 RRP: $22.99 Specs: 284 x 208 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 12 September  2018 For Teacher Resource: Click here The Book: Tui, his cousin Jennifer and their whānau go to the south Kaipara to visit their Uncle Rua and Auntie Mina. Exploring the area down to Muriwai, they learn about moa, kauri, Māui dolphins, kaitiakitanga (stewardship), geology and more. In the telling of their stories, a previously unknown taniwha (monster) takes centre stage! The Taniwha in our Backyard mixes English and Māori (with a smattering of Malay), profiling established and newer ethnic groups. This third book in the Sharing Our Stories series carries on the kaupapa of connecting children with the amazing environments and history around them.
  • Takitimu

    $85.00
    Takitimu A History of Ngati Kahungunu Author: J.H. Mitchell ISBN: 978-0-947506-21-6 RRP: $85.00 Specs: 240 x 150 mm portrait, HB, 312 pp, b&w with photo and whakapapa sections Published: October 2014 The Book: Takitimu is one of the great tribal histories in the New Zealand literary canon. It tells of the Ngati Kahungunu people – tangata whenua of Hawke’s Bay and parts of East Coast and Wairarapa – from their origins in the Pacific Islands to their lineage in Aotearoa up to the twentieth century. It is divided into four main sections: the history up to the departure of Takitimu and other canoes of migration; the history of Ngati Kahungunu; short biographies of Sir James Carroll, Sir Maui Pomare and the Rev. Tamihana Huata; and appendices describing charms, proverbs, the interpretation of dreams and signs, and the Maori almanac. Complete with genealogical tables, this is a book of great value for history enthusiasts and especially the people of Ngati Kahungunu – the third largest Maori tribe, with descendants throughout New Zealand and Australia.
  • Title: Polynesian Navigation and the Discovery of New Zealand Author: Jeff Evans ISBN: 978-0-947506-40-7 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 245 x 175 mm portrait, PB, 128 pp, b&w with photos & maps Published by Oratia Books: April 2017 The Book: The Polynesian navigator Kupe is credited with the discovery of the land his expedition named Aotearoa, land of the long white cloud. How did he and the many canoes that followed find their way without modern navigational techniques through perilous seas in wooden canoes? By examining myth, star charts and contemporary Polynesian seafaring, Jeff Evans traces the methods by which the early explorers made their epic voyages in Part One. The book’s second part travels with Maori canoe expert Matahi Brightwell and navigator Frances Cowan aboard the traditional canoe Hawaiki-nui following traditional navigation – with no modern aids – on its historic voyage from Tahiti down to New Zealand.

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  • Title: First Encounters Series: The NZ Series Author: Gordon Ell and Sarah Ell ISBN: 978-0-947506-90-2 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 108 pp, 2 colour Published: 8 April 2021 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: Europeans had no idea what they would find when they first set eyes on Aotearoa. First Encounters selects some of the key writings from these  early traders, missionaries, explorers and surveyors — covering nearly 200 years from Abel Tasman in 1642 and Joseph Banks in 1769, through to early settlers such as John Logan Campbell in 1840. Their records of encounters with this new land and its Māori inhabitants reveal stories of wonder, curiosity, misunderstanding and adventure — all with maximum interest and impact for modern readers. The text is liberally illustrated with two-colour imagery and historical photos, alongside fact boxes explaining historical language and events.
  • Series: The NZ Series Title: Volcanoes and Earthquakes Editor: Gordon Ell and Sarah Ell ISBN: 978-0-947506-60-5 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, 4 colour Published: 10 July 2019 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: Get ready for a new take on New Zealand society, history and geography in one of the first two books in The NZ Series, a snappily designed and fact-packed collection for intermediate and high-school age readers. Volcanoes and Earthquakes investigates the causes and history of seismic activity in Aotearoa, taking in the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes and recent volcanic activity. The informative, easy-to-understand text is accompanied by numerous explanatory diagrams, historical and modern-day photographs and ‘Fact File’ boxes. Ours is a physically small country but it packs a powerful amount of geological activity into its landscape, as does the keen design of Volcanoes and Earthquakes.

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  • Te Arawa

    $98.00
    Title: Te Arawa: A History of the Arawa People Author: Don Stafford ISBN: 978-0-947506-10-0 RRP: $98.00 Specs: HB, 240 x 150 mm portrait, 616 pp, 12 b&w photo sections, deluxe jacket Publishing: 25 August 2016 The Book: Te Arawa is the major work by one of the leading historians of pre-European New Zealand, the late Don Stafford. The book tells the complete history of the Te Arawa waka and its descendants until the late nineteenth century. This relates the iwi’s origins in the South Pacific; migration and settlement in Aotearoa; the exploits of ancestors including Tamatekapua, Ihenga, Hatupatu, Tutanekai and Wahiao; development and relations among the Arawa confederation; the arrival of Europeans; Te Arawa’s participation in Māori–Pākehā warfare; and the campaigns involving Te Kooti. Te Arawa was and remains a monumental work of research and writing, and as a 616-page hardback is also an impressive physical artefact. This handsome hardback edition includes photographic pages on glossy paper and extensive whakapapa (genealogies).
  • Title: Vikings of the Sunrise Author: Te Rangi Hīroa (Sir Peter Buck) Foreword by Paora Tapsell ISBN: 978-1-99-004249-2 RRP: $49.99 Specs: PB with flaps, 210 x 140 mm portrait, 392 pp, b/w with 2 photo sections of 16 pp Published: 18 October 2023 Vikings of the Sunrise ranks as a masterpiece of Pacific studies. From the pen of one of the greatest Māori thinkers and writers of his generation, the settlement of the Pacific Ocean comes to life. The book ranges across the Pacific Ocean and the people who populated it, considering their physical and spiritual origins, and the ships they built to conquer this vast territory. It weighs evidence for different routes, retells myths of migration including the Māui series, recounts the author’s visits to islands and atolls across the South Pacific, and overall establishes the ‘vikings’ of the Pacific among the greatestever ocean voyagers. First published in 1938, Vikings of the Sunrise is here reproduced in an enhanced facsimile edition, including photos and maps compiled by the author on his voyages, and a new foreword by anthropologist Paora (Paul) Tapsell. Oratia Books is pleased to bring Vikings of the Sunrise back into print for modern readers as part of our NZ Classics series.
  • Whāriki

    $39.99
    Title: Whāriki The growth of Māori community entrepreneurship Authors: Merata Kawharu and Paul Tapsell ISBN: 978-0-947506-63-6 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 234 x 153 mm portrait, PB with flaps, 200 pp, b&w Published: 5 November 2019 The Book: Understanding what drives enterprise within an indigenous cultural space is not widely understood in New Zealand. Whāriki reveals how kin-based business ventures created by Māori have promoted social, economic and environmental wellbeing from the whenua (land) up. Its core is eight case studies — some arising from iwi-driven ideas, some ideas from marae-based whanau. These range from a bee school in Northland, ginseng growing in the King Country, to the rehabilitation of Māori prisoners in Dunedin and a web-engaged response to accessing tribal marae. Always reaching into ancestral ties and lessons to provide guidance and foundation for their ideas, these businesses are wrapped in cultural approaches that engage kin communities in improving the wellbeing of their iwi, hapū and whānau. This book explores the successes, the failures, the learnings and the futures of these opportunities for Māori.
  • Title: There's a Tui in our Teapot Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Nikki Slade Robinson ISBN: 978-0-947506-47-6 RRP: $25.99 Specs:  270 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 32 pp, colour Published: 16 October 2018 For Teacher Resource: Click here The Book: There’s a tui in our teapot. He’s looking out at me. A tui in the teapot? Yes … he wants a cup of tea! A tui and his various friends including takahe, kea, korimako (bellbird), pukeko and hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin) invade the family kitchen, getting up to all kinds of high jinks and making a tremendous mess! What will Nan say when she sees what the hilarious gang of mischievous birds have done to her kitchen? Two of New Zealand's best children's book creators join together in this classic bit of fun that concludes with a handy fact list on the native birds featured.
  • Title: Te Toki me te Whao Author: Clive Fugill ISBN: 978-0-947506-13-1 RRP: $45 Specs: 250 x 185 mm portrait, PB, 152 pp, colour Publishing: 11 November 2016 The Book: Te Toki me te Whao is the first book by one of New Zealand’s most esteemed experts in wood carving – and the first dedicated to Maori tool technology since Elsdon Best’s Stone Implements of the Maori (1912). Building on a lifetime of study and experience, Clive Fugill provides a complete historical record as well as a practical guide in the use of Maori tools and technology. The book traces the mythical origins of wood carving and stone implements in the Pacific, location and use of materials in New Zealand, the manufacture of tools, and how to use them in making works in wood, stone and bone. Illustrated with over 80 of Clive’s drawings, the book also features colour photos by Chris Hoult.
  • Ngā Waka o Neherā The first voyaging canoes ISBN: 978-0-947506-05-6 RRP: $47.99 Specs: 245 x 175 mm portrait, PB, 224 pp, b&w Published: 2009; New edition: 2016 The Book: Ngā Waka o Neherā is the essential reference work to the traditions of Māori canoes that voyaged to New Zealand – including lists of the waka, names of crew members and vessels, karakia and waiata, and maps. A must for lovers of history, students of Māori and nautical enthusiasts, the book is concisely written with Jeff’s trademark clarity and solid research.

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  • Title: Pioneer Women Series: The NZ Series Editor: Sarah Ell ISBN: 978-0-947506-59-9 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, 2 colour Published: 10 July 2019 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: Get ready for a new take on New Zealand society, history and geography in one of the first two books in The NZ Series, a snappily designed and fact-packed collection for intermediate and high-school age readers. This fascinating collection of writings and reflections by some of the pioneer women who came to New Zealand in the nineteenth century reveals the challenges they faced and overcame when they arrived in their new country. Pioneer Women presents extracts from diaries and letters by women who emigrated to New Zealand from Europe in the nineteenth century. These tales of hardship and happiness are accompanied by portraits, newspaper clippings, and markers like the Women’s Suffrage Petition, creating an easily digested record of these adventurous pioneers.
  • Title: The Musket Wars A History of Inter-Iwi Conflict 1806–1845 Author: Ron Crosby ISBN: 978-0-947506-29-2 RRP: $75 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, flexibind, 432 pp (32 pp colour) Published: October 2012 The Book: First published in 1999, with an introduction by Michael King, The Musket Wars established Ron Crosby’s reputation as a daring, original chronicler of New Zealand history. This best-selling history provides the first comprehensive account of the wars that ravaged the country in the early 1800s, when iwi with newly acquired muskets unleashed terrible utu (revenge) on foes, helped by other introductions like potatoes that fuelled long-range taua (war parties). Ron Crosby weaves the strands of this conflict into an immensely readable narrative, guiding the reader through its complexities with lists of protagonists, a chronology, indexes and above all, superb maps and illustrations. This volume reproduces the revised 2001 edition with significant updates.
  • Title: Rere Atu Taku Poi! Let My Poi Fly! Author: Tangaroa Paul Illustrator: Rebecca Gibbs ISBN: 978-1-99-004248-5 RRP: $22.99 Specs:  PB, 270 x 210 mm portrait, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 8 February 2024 For Teacher Resource: click here
    Written in te reo Māori and translated by the author, Rere Atu Taku Poi! is a beautifully illustrated story about gender fluidity in a school setting. Rangi loves doing haka but performing poi is his favourite — even though his classmates say it’s just for girls. When the lead poi performer falls sick before a school performance, Rangi has to take her place. How will the other students and audience react – ‘Surely a boy can’t lead the poi?’
    As Rangi steps on stage, the familiar movements of poi take him from scared and unsure to standing as his authentic self.

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  • Title: Regions of New Zealand Author: Peter Dowling ISBN: 978-0-947506-35-3 RRP: $32.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 40 pp, colour Publishing: 24 October 2017 The Book: Where are the regions of New Zealand? How did they develop? What makes them special and cool to visit? Through maps, photos, fact boxes and simple text, Regions of New Zealand takes readers on a tour from Northland to Southland, Tokelau to Antarctica – with fascinating insights into the special features, facts and characters of our distinctive regions. Each region features in a spread of the book, with a colour map showing towns and features, summary text, photos illustrating key locations and tourist destinations, fact boxes and key info. In addition are sections on Māori regional relationships, early provincial divisions, outlying territories and study links.