Te Rautakitahi o Tūhoe ki Ōrākau by Tā Pou Temara (Ngāi Tūhoe) is an account of the battle of Ōrākau in the New Zealand wars. Written in te reo Māori, Tā Pou who is from Ruatāhuna, where most of the Tūhoe who went to Ōrākau came from, relates the stories told to him by his grandfather, great-grandmother and other kuia and koroua when he was young. He shares how Rewi Maniapoto visited Tūhoe at Ruatāhuna in 1862 and 1864 to ask if they would become involved in the war to help Ngāti Maniapoto and the King movement. Tā Pou, a cultural authority on whaikōrero, tikanga and karakia, compares his account of events to those of Pākehā writers such as Elsdon Best, Judith Binney and Vincent O’Malley. Chaired by Rawinia Higgins.

Supported by Royal Society Te Apārangi.

AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL 2023, WAITUHI O TĀMAKI SATURDAY 20 MAY 2023 – 2.30-3.30PM KIRI TE KANAWA THEATRE, AOTEA CENTRE