Ranginui Walker is an academic, author, biographer, historian, commentator, activist and iwi consultant. He was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2003. His many books include He Tipua, his highly acclaimed biography of Sir Apirana Ngata, and most recently Tohunga Whakairo (2008), a biography of the late Paki Harrison (Ngati Porou), one of New Zealand’s greatest master carvers.
BOOKS
Ka Whawhai tonu Matou: Struggle without End
Since the mid-nineteenth century, Maori have been involved in an endless struggle for justice, equality and self-determination. In this book Dr Walker provides a uniquely Maori view, not only of the events of the past two centuries but beyond to the very origins of Maori people. In this updated edition Dr Walker has added new chapters covering the years from 1990, the flowering of the Maori culture and the growth of Maori political and economic power. Recent issues such as the foreshore and seabed legislation, the hikoi and Don Brash's Orewa speech are discussed.
Opotiki-Mai-Tawhiti: The Story of Whakatohea's Struggle During the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
This is a tribal history of Maori scholar Ranginui Walker's own iwi, Whakatohea of Opotiki, with the emphasis on the epic events of the nineteenth century and the tribe's subsequent struggle for social justice.
The account of what happened to the tribe in the nineteenth century is challenging and often quite gripping. Whakatohea were devastated by the Musket Wars of the 1820s. In fact the town of Opotiki was deserted for a decade. Then in the 1840s and 1850s the tribe enjoyed great economic prosperity, growing crops and owning coastal ships.
The Land Wars, however, were a disaster for Whakatohea following the famous Rev. Volkner affair. A large column of imperial troops invaded their territory. Property was looted and destroyed, their land confiscated.
As Ranginui Walker himself says, 'the history of Whakatohea is a microcosm of the history of New Zealand'. Settlement of their claim before the Waitangi Tribunal is still pending.
Tohunga Whakairo: Paki Harrison
Paki Harrison is widely regarded as New Zealand's greatest living master carver, a man with a huge reputation as a leading tohunga of the art form. He possesses immense knowledge about the traditional arts of the carver, extending way beyond the actual physical arts to include its most ancient aspects - the symbolism contained in Māori art, to its role in transmitting old tribal history. Few know more about the symbolism of the waka taua (war canoe), whare whakairo (carved meeting houses) and kōwhaiwhai patterns.
Harrison is responsible for carving 10 of the most important new North Island meeting houses in recent years, in particular the outstanding house at the University of Auckland marae. He has also taught and written extensively on the art of the tohunga whakairo.
This major biography by Ranginui Walker, himself a well-known public figure, traces Paki Harrison's life and work, from his privileged upbringing in the Ngāti Porou household of his grandmother, where he was singled out for special training. The carving and building of several big meeting houses is described in detail, from the inside.