A Fire in the Belly of Hineamaru

‘This collection of narratives by Melinda Webber and Te Kapua O’Connor about Te Tai Tokerau tupuna highlights the adaptability and versatility of those who came before us. By understanding their legacy, we also better understand their lasting impact on hapu and iwi, and on the wider social fabric of Aotearoa.’ –From the foreword by the Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro (Ngapuhi, Ngati Hine, Ngati Kahu)

Melinda Webber (Ngati Kahu, Ngati Hau, Ngati Hine, Ngapuhi, Ngati Whakaue) is a professor and Te Tumu/Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Waipapa Taumata Rau/the University of Auckland. She is a former Fulbright/Nga Pae o te Maramatanga scholar. In 2016, she was awarded a Marsden Fast-Start grant to undertake a research project examining the distinctive identity traits of Te Tai Tokerau tupuna (leading to this book), and in 2017 she was awarded a prestigious Rutherford Discovery Fellowship to tackle an important question facing educators – ‘How can we foster cultural pride and academic aspiration among Maori students?’. Melinda Webber was the 2017 Director for Phase Three of The Starpath Project and is currently the University of Auckland co-director for the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity programme. She also spent six years as a co-principal investigator on the Nga Pae o te Maramatanga-funded project ‘Ka Awatea’ which examined the nature of teaching, learning, and home socialisation patterns that support Maori student success in education. Melinda’s research focuses on better understanding the effects of Maori student motivation and academic engagement, culturally sustaining teaching, localised curricula, and enduring school–family–community partnerships for learning.

Te Kapua O’Connor (Ngati Kurī, Pohutiare) is a doctoral student at Te Wananga o Waipapa: School of Maori Studies and Pacific Studies at Waipapa Taumata Rau/the University of Auckland. Between 2017 and 2020 Te Kapua worked as a researcher on the Marsden Fast-Start-funded project led by Professor Melinda Webber. The project examined the distinctive identity traits of Te Tai Tokerau tupuna and led to this book. In 2020, Te Kapua secured a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship to commence his PhD. He was also awarded the 2021 Ta Hemi Henare Scholarship from the Kohanga Reo National Trust Board to further support him in his doctoral studies. Te Kapua is studying the tikanga of ahika, striving to broaden, add nuance, and challenge some of what we know about the celebrated tikanga.