Tukua: He Tikanga Māori — Tom Roa (1987)
This publication written by Ngāti Maniapoto leader and scholar Associate Professor Tom Roa, looks into the social life, customs, study and teaching of Māori. It was published during the year te reo Māori became an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Publication details
Roa, T. Tukua: He Tikanga Māori. Auckland: Heinemann, 1987.
About the book
Published in 1987, Tukua was written to provide relevant tikanga Māori information for schools at a time when there was growing interest in the Māori world. Tom Roa (Ngāti Maniapoto) wrote this book to highlight some aspects of tikanga Māori by looking at a number of Māori cultural activities and to encourage students to view the Māori world in a positive way.
Roa explains in the introduction of his book “In the Māori educative process, most knowledge is caught by listening. Most of the information in this book was not told to me personally but caught, by listening at marae, hui, tangihanga, weddings, and individual conversations”.
The book is arranged into 18 sections that cover Marae, Turangawaewae, Karanga, Whaikorero, Koha, Mauri and Manaakitanga. Quotes from tribal elders and photographs of cultural practices are included as well as practical activities for students.
Further information
- Out of print.
This publication is part of the series Te Takarangi: Celebrating Māori publications - a sample list of 150 non-fiction books produced by a partnership between Royal Society Te Apārangi and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga.