This is not your typical taonga Māori. Its also not just an old ledger but if you take a closer look it can reveal more. We’ll take you into the room with this taonga what it was like and what you might find. Not dissimilar to an address book from 1878 we’ll share with you its purpose, importance and its taonga-like characteristics. We talk about the Te Wananga newspaper and its subscribers who were recorded in this ledger. Te reo Māori is central to the mode of communication at the time in sharing critical news uniting iwi Māori over land matters but most of all, a defence to overturn fraudulent sales of Māori land.

A snapshot in time, a window to the lives of our tipuna, a source of empowerment and identity. Listen in on this episode to find out more about the Te Wananga ledger.

Links

Book: Lives of Colonial Objects 2015

Definition from of taonga from He Pātaka Kupu dictionary

Te Wānanga Ledger at MTG

Repudiation Movement

Kotahitanga Movement

Glossary

Tipuna Māori - Māori ancestors

Motu - country, island

Reo - language

Tairāwhiti rohe - East Coast region

Iwi, hapū - tribe, subtribe

Mana - control, power, authority

Rangatira - chief, leader

Uri whakatipu - descendants

Whenua ūkaipō - land of origin, home land

Whenua - land, placenta

Mana whenua - authority over land

Kōrero - discussion

Mere - hand held short club weapon often greenstone

Taiaha - long wooden weapon

Kākahu - cloak, clothing