Tuesday 26 June 2018
7.00 – 7.30pm drinks & nibbles
7.30 – 8.30pm author talk
Join us at Devonport Library to hear Jane McRae speak about the importance of nineteenth-century Māori manuscripts to her research for Māori Oral Tradition and to the survival of the oral tradition. The event will be chaired by Te Awhina Arahanga from Ngāi Tahu.
“Māori oral tradition is the rich, poetic record of the past handed down by voice over generations through whakapapa, whakataukī, kōrero and waiata. A voice from the past, today this remarkable record underpins the speeches, songs and prayers performed on marae and the teaching of tribal genealogies and histories. Indeed, the oral tradition underpins Māori culture itself. This book introduces readers to the distinctive oral style and language of the traditional compositions, and it shows how ngā kōrero tuku iho – the inherited words – can be a deep well of knowledge about the way of life, wisdom and thinking of the Māori ancestors.” Publisher description.