Maori and the written word

Book excerpt: Presents a history of Ngati Hikata through the writings of seven Maori people spanning four generations of the Maaka family. Included are genealogies, traditional histories, and personal documents written in Maori and in English that date from 1848 to 1978. Ranging from pepeha and waiata to the bleakly beautiful diaries of a mutton-birder, the documents collected in this book are a rare and intriguing window into the real lives of their authors. This valuable reference work also shows how to safegaurd and share ancestors' precious work for the future.