MANA LETTERS

Mana (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 13, 26 January 1978, Page 2

MANA LETTERS

Friends — Like Syd Jackson, in his review of Michael King's biography, ‘Te Puea’, I too was angry as I read this book, angry and ashamed. Unlike Syd Jackson, my anger was directed at those people (nearly, but not quite, all Pakehas) who persecuted and misrepresented her over the years; and my shame was for being part of the Pakeha race who had done these things, and for my ignorance of them. Until I read Michael King’s biography, I was ignorant of all but the most superficial facts of Te Puea’s life, philosophy and influence. So was everyone else in New Zealand with the exception of her Waikato people, a handful of Maori and Pakeha scholars, and some (by no means all) Maori elders. Naturally all the rest of us were ignorant. Nothing has been researched and published about this truly outstanding woman until this book. To me, and I suggest to most of New Zealand, the biography comes as an extraordinary revelation of a woman extraordinary by world standards. I have taught with Michael King, training young journalists at Wellington Polytechnic. More than any teacher I have ever met, Michael King worked to make students and staff alike aware of Maori points of view; never ever setting himself up as a Maori “expert” — the idea is laughable — but bringing Maori spokesmen themselves into the polytechnic, for direct discussions with the students. If newspaper and broadcasting reporting of Maori affairs has been lamentable, and I believe it has, future improvements will be due very largely to Michael King. Syd Jackson didn’t write a review. He took an easy, sensational way out; venting his anger that a Pakeha, not a Maori, ad undertaken the monumental research needed for this biography. Surely your readers deserve a detailed, searching, constructive review of ‘Te Puea’? I look forward to reading on in your pages. — Christine Cole Catley, Picton.

P.S. Ihave just seen South Pacific Television’s documentary on Te Puea. From my knowledge of New Zealand television, I can say .quite definitely that there would have been no prog-

ramme on Te Puea in the foreseeable future (when it would have been too late), but for Michael King’s scholarship and sheer hard work. Syd Jackson should use his influence to encourage any potentially gifted person — black, white or purple — into the field of Maori historical research. We need such people urgently, or so much will be lost for ever. E hoa ma, Tena koutou katoa; He mihi tenei ki a koutou katoa o te wa kainga, no Hawaii nei. E miharo ana ahau, a, tautoko ana ahau i ta koutou mahi, whawhai hoki. No reira haere ki mua, kia kaha. Aloha! Michael Walker. East-West Center Hawaii.

Ki te Etita, Anei ra he moni hei awhina i te take i panuitia mai e koutou. E koa ana te whakatauki na; he iti noa ana te aroha. Tena koutou, kia kaha, Na Tawhiwhi Brown. Waiouru Military Camp Waiouru. Kia ora ano he Tawhiwhi, Ka pai hoki to manaakitanga kite hokohoko am i nga nupepa o te Mana ki nga kai-korero pukapuka o nga hohipera mete whare-herehere hoki. Ma te Atua he manaaki mai i to mahi i waenganui ote ope, me o nga mea katoa. Kia ora ano he tama, na te Mana te mihi am ki a koe.