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Monthly Archives: April 2018

New book: Indigenous Pacific Approaches to Climate Change

Jenny Bryant-Tokalau of our Pacific Islands Studies programme has just published a new book, Indigenous Pacific Approaches to Climate Change, with Palgrave Macmillan, as part of the Palgrave Studies in Disaster Anthropology.  As the series editors note, this volume “is explicitly written as a companion to another study for our series, by Dr. Lyn Carter, on Maori TEK [Traditional ecological knowledge] (MEK) in Aotearoa New Zealand.”  Lyn is a staff member of Te Tumu’s Indigenous Development programme.

Jenny’s new book covers a wide range of contemporary issues, such as climate change; social conflicts that result from forced re-settlement processes eventuating from environmental alterations, e.g., desertification shoreline loss, sinking islands, rising seas.  See the contents below.

For more information, or to download Indigenous Pacific Approaches to Climate Change click here.

 

In all good bookstores soon!

Click image to enlarge.

Ka tangi the kōparapara! Te Tumu staff are delighted with the advance copy of their new book, Te Kōparapara: An Introduction to the Māori World, which arrived a few days ago.  This book, published by Auckland University Press, will be out in bookstores next month. Te Tumu will use it as a textbook for our MAOR102: Māori Society paper, replacing Ki Te Whaiao, which staff put out in 2004.  But Te Kōparapara will also be of interest to anyone wanting to learn more about te ao Māori.

The kōparapara is the bellbird, the most impressive native songbird, and its tangi is used as a metaphor for the twenty-one chapters in the book.  There are three sections. “Te Tumu: Foundations” looks at pre-contact history and Māori culture both from a traditional standpoint, but also in the present.  The second section, “Tāhuhu Kōrero: Histories” examines the past from Māori first contacts with Pākehā newcomers to the post-war urban migrations.  This leads into “Tākiri the Ata: Futures” which looks at contemporary Māori society and its future.  See the contents pages for fuller details.  Also click the AUP webpage to access some sample pages.

Contents. Click to enlarge.

A number of Te Tumu staff, past and present, have contributed to the book: Michael Reilly, Suzanne Duncan, Poia Rewi, Merata Kawharu, Erica Newman, Paul Tapsell, Megan Pōtiki, Lachy Paterson, Karyn Paringātai, Tangiwai Rewi, Matiu Rātima, Lyn Carter, our postdoc, Gianna Leoni, and former postgrad students Marcelle Wharerau and Tawini White.

We would also like to send out a big mihi to the other authors who also contributed chapters, including from Otago: Richard Walter (Anthropology), Erik Olssen (History, emeritus), Janine Hayward (Politics), Tom Brooking (History), Jacinta Ruru (Law), Anne-Marie Jackson and Hauiti Hakopa (PE), Joanne Baxter (Health); and from further afield, Michael Belgrave (Massey), Richard S. Hill (Victoria), Te Taka Keegan (Waikato) and Acushla Sciascia (AUT).  And of course, Sam Elworthy and the team at Auckland University Press.

Professor Michael Reilly

In particular, we must acknowledge Professor Michael Reilly who led the project, ably assisted by Suzanne Duncan and Gianna Leoni, wrangling all the contributors (and co-editors), communicating with the publisher, and making sure all the little tasks were completed.  He mihi nui ki a koe, Michael; mei kore ake koe hei hautū i te kaupapa nei.

Hard Copies Submitted

John Birnie submitted the “hard copies” of his PhD thesis today at the Graduate Research School.

John has been a fixture at Te Tumu, graduating with his MIndS in 2012.  Te reo Māori is one of John’s passions.  He was a former high school teacher of te reo, and completed higher level reo classes at Te Tumu. His PhD, “Exploring learner-centredness for adults learning te reo Māori: easing the path to language acquisition” combines his interests in education and Māori-language learning.

John was supervised by Prof. Poia Rewi and Assoc Prof. Lachy Paterson, and by Dr Matiu Rātima in the early stages of his study.  Submitting the hard bound copies is the final act in the PhD journey – with the exception of his graduation in May.  Koia kei a koe, e Hone!