New Book of Māori Writing Launched

MINISTRY FOR CULTURE AND HERITAGE

Monday 3 November, 2004

The writings of four generations of the Maaka whānau spanning over 120 years are featured in Bradford Haami’s new book Pūtea Whakairo: Māori and the Written Word launched today at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

The book was written while Mr Haami was the Fellow in Māori History at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and is published by Huia Publishers.

'Brad has drawn on his grandfather’s collection of personal documents which include letters, diaries, whakapapa, waiata, minutes of hui – a diverse range of material written in Māori,' says Bronwyn Dalley, Chief Historian at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

'Pūtea Whakairo is an important resource for his iwi, and in the preservation of Māori language and history.'

The book offers advice on preserving precious family documents and shows the importance of safeguarding them for future generations.

The Fellowship in Maori History provides researchers with an opportunity to produce accessible, scholarly Maori history for a wide audience. Projects focus on histories of state activity, war history, and other historical topics of national significance.

The current Fellow is Monty Soutar, who is working on the history of C Company of 28 Māori Battlion, which fought with distinction during the Second World War.

For further information contact

Helen Mojel
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Phone 04 474 3307 or 025 256 7778