Ka rite te kopara e ko nei i te ata. It is like a bellbird singing at dawn. Like the clear morning song of te koparapara, the bellbird, this book aims to allow the Maori world to speak for itself through an accessible introduction to Maori culture, history and society from an indigenous perspective.
In twenty-one illustrated chapters, leading scholars introduce Maori culture (including tikanga on and off the marae and key rituals like powhiri and tangihanga), Maori history (from the beginning of the world and the waka migration through to Maori protest and urbanisation in the twentieth century), and Maori society today (including twenty-first century issues like education, health, political economy and identity). Each chapter provides a descriptive narrative covering the major themes, written in accessible formal English, including appropriate references to te reo Maori and to the wider Pacific. Chapters are illustrated with a mixture of images, maps and diagrams as well as relevant songs and sayings. Te Koparapara is an authoritative and accessible introduction to the past, present and future of the Maori world for students and general readers.
