Pounamu is a celebration of jade in its many forms. It is a magnificent tribute to this New Zealand icon, the finest book on the subject ever published. Through the eyes of pounamu specialists Russell Beck and Maika Mason, we explore jade's powerful connection with the natural environment, its Maori myths and history, jewellery and taonga, geology and technical characteristics, places where pounamu is found, methods of working, cultural issues regarding the ownership and management of jade as a resource, contemporary carving, and i... read more

In eight remarkable oral histories, Ngá Mórehu brings alive the experience of Máori women from the mid-twentieth century. Heni Brown , Reremoana Koopu,Maaka Jones, Hei Ariki Algie, Heni Sunderland , Miria Rua, Putiputi Onekawaand Te Akakura Rua talked with Judith Binney and Gillian Chaplin, sharing stories andmemories. These are the women whose ‘voices must be heard’.The title, ‘the survivors’, refects the women’s connection with the visionary leader Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki ... read more

To read the life histories of these women is a rare privilege. We are swept up into a world of pain, poverty and the sheer grind of daily life in rural villages. … Throughout all the narrativesthere is a strong sense of taha wairua – spiritual beliefs instilled by infuential whanau elders.To read these stories is to become enveloped in a brilliantly patterned cloak where all the strongthreads are bound together with warmth and aroha. Keri Kaa, NZ Listener , 30 May 1987 For much of women’s history, memory is the only way of discovering the past. Other sourcessimply do no..read more

Proverbs (or whakatauki) express the wisdom, wit and common sense of the Maori people. Evocative and succinct, they are great value and inspiration to writers, story-tellers and anyone speaking in a Maori setting. Several hundred proverbs are here categorised under a large number of diverse headings, with translations and explanations in English. This book provides both a useful reference and an insight into Maori humour and values.

For the first time the world of the tohunga, which has lain carefully concealed for centuries, is brought out into the open. Kereopa's knowledge of the traditional Maori world, and his thoughtful perspectives on subject matters ranging from natural healing to modern life, offer an insight into the realm of a great tohunga.

Dop 2008, Auckland 216pp 9th edition (1st edition by Raupo publishers) Parihaka has become a byword for Maori refusal to yield land, culture and dignity to New Zealand's colonial government. Well after the end of the New Zealand Wars, the people of this small settlement at the foot of Mt Taranaki held out against the encroachments of Pakeha settlers in a struggle that swapped the weapons of war for the weapons of peace. Taking as their symbol the white feather, the chiefs Te Whiti and Tohu led Parihaka in one of the world's fi... read more

Weaving a Kakahu was reprinted in 1994 and this 2006 version has been supported by Creative New Zealand and Puwaha ki te Ao Trust. The 2006 relaunch of Weaving a Kakahu in conjunction with Digger being the recipient of the Te Tohu Tiketike o te Waka Toi Exemplary Award at Te Tokanganui a noho marae, Te Kuiti, is testimony of recognition for a lifetime of commitment to a traditional art from while juggling a large family. "Weaving has always been around me for as long as I can remember. I was always fascinated by the preparation a... read more

Drawing on the most up-to-date scholarship, Maori Art and Design takes a fresh look at the Maori visual arts, with an emphasis not so much on the history of craft as on the design itself. Covering tattooing, drawing and painting, carving and weaving, the book explores the origination, evolution, and significance of the designs, and also explains the materials and techniques used to create them. The book is illustrated throughout with a mix of black-and-white and colour photography, representing the full range of artefacts from hist... read more

Arranged alphabetically for easy reference, the text summarises all important elements, influences and features of pre-European Maori life.

These 50 interesting and entertaining projects are designed to teach beginners the basic skills of the Maori craft of plaiting. Fun with Flax shows how to make items ranging from a simple windmill, a dart and a whistle to more complex puzzles, balls, birds, fish and even a caterpillar. Each project is described one step at a time with easy-to-follow line drawings and instructions. All are fun and will delight children and adults with their ingenuity, their beauty and the amusement they provide. This book is ideal for kohanga reo, p... read more

Weaving is more than just a product of manual skills. From the simple rourou (food basket) to the prestigious kahukiwi (kiwi feather cloak), weaving is endowed with the very essence of the spiritual values of Maori people. The first Maori settlers brought the knowledge of weaving with them. In Aotearoa they found new plant materials, including the versatile harakeke (New Zealand flax). They also incorporated feathers from birds and the skin and hair of their dogs. They wove practical items necessary for everyday life. But they also... read more

Kura Koiwi is both a personal account of Brian Flintoff’s career as a carver, but also an important exploration of Maori art and how it relates to carving.
Heavily illustrated with exquisite examples of his, and other people’s work, this book explains the mythology and symbolism behind his work, and in doing so provides an inspiring window into the power and beauty of our indigenous culture.
Conceived as a sister publication to Taonga Puoro: Singing Treasures, his acclaimed earlier book on Maori musical inst... read more

Traditional objects of great beauty, made of wood, bone, greenstone, feathers and fibre, are collected in this sumptuous pictorial guide to Maori art. Deidre Brown has selected the finest of Brain Brake's photo's and adds interesting and informed commentary on the Maori gods and legends that inspired these works.

Every kete has a story. This collection is drawn from the rich store of information and memories associated with kete - these much loved but often overlooked 'baskets of knowledge'. Some stories are short, others grow with the telling. All are told with warmth, humour and humility, giving us insight into how the humble kete so often helps to establish ongoing friendships and relationships. Some stories are told by the kete makers. They tell about the process of weaving a kete - learning the techniques, gathering and preparing the m... read more

Weaving Flowers from New Zealand Flax contains detailed instructions for weaving fifteen different flower and foliage designs plus different variations of several of the designs. Many of the flower designs can be woven from a single flax leaf, and are very quick to weave once you’ve had a bit of practice. The book also includes examples of floral arrangements for each of the flower designs and various flax foliage ideas for floral arrangements in addition to the woven foliage designs. All the instructions and arrangements in ... read more

To Maori, the governing principle of mauri brings to all objects the power and prescience of a living spirit. Objects that are hand-crafted from wood, stone, shell, bone or pounamu are imbued with life by their creators. Conveying the mauri of an object through photography requires an exceptional talent, one focused on distilling the essential energy of the original piece through shades of lighting, position and perspective. This is what Brian Brake achieved. The photos in this collection constitute the best of Brake's photographic... read more

The new edition includes instructions for making a flax Pohutukawa, the flower of New Zealand’s Christmas tree. Real Pohutukawa flowers are stunning, but very delicate, and so not very practical for flower arrangements, but the flax version shown in this bouquet will last indefinitely. A variety of ideas for using the Pohutukawa are illustrated in the book, including instructions for making the hair decoration Flax on the brain.

Timo is a young boy looking for a chance to prove his fishing skills against his father and older brothers. In the tradition of Maui, Timo finds himself embroiled in a sea adventure. This richly illustrated tale combines contemporary childhood with Maori mythology.

Reprint, previously published Sep 2006. Who are the Maori of New Zealand? How did they get here and how did they settle the country? What are the main tribal grounps in New Zealand and where are they based? "Maori Peoples of New Zealand" answers these important questions. The first publication tocome out of the online Te Ara Envyclopedia of New Zealand project tells the story of the tngata whenua of Aotearoa, from their journeys across the vast Pacific Ocean to the histories of all the major iwi, including the contemporary issues ... read more

Finalist in the General Non-Fiction category. During the nineteenth century the Urewera was a remote but enticing wilderness except for the Maori who lived there, for them it was a sheltering homeland. In 1866-67 large areas were taken by confiscation or forced cession.At the end of the fighting in 1872 the Urewera became an autonomous district, governed by its own leaders. In 1921-22 the Urewera Native Reserve was abolished in law. This book provides the historical context for Tuhoe's quest for the restoration of their 'nationhood'.

Based on a unique exhibition of the customary and contemporary taonga (treasures) of Maori, E Tu Ake: Standing Strong presents New Zealand's indigenous people as a culture that is dynamic, diverse, politically strong and globally engaged. This book includes images and descriptions of over 100 of the most impressive, highly valued ancestral taonga in the museum's collections - from a carved whare tupuna (ancestral meeting house) to a waka whakamaumaharatanga (canoe cenotaph); from unique jewellery to customary hand-held weaponry, to... read more