Tikanga Whakaaro: Key Concepts in Maori Culture

by Cleve Barlow

In this essential guide to students of Maori language and culture, Cleve Barlow defines and discusses seventy important concepts in Maori culture--words as familiar to most Pakeha as aroha, marae, and tapu, or as unfamiliar as aitua, parekawakawa, and urupa. Drawing on the traditional knowledge of the whare wananga (school of learning) as well as on modern usage, Barlow provides short essay definitions in both English and Maori.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Indigenous, Anthropology

185 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 1991

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barlow provides succinct and insightful descriptions of various aspects of Maori culture. He often mixes in some personal thoughts and stories, which give the work a richer tone.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

A bilingual (Maori and English) book that attempts to succinctly define/explain cultural components of Maori culture. While it cannot fully encompass everything, it definitely gives a glimpse into different terminology. This is something that you can sit on your desk right next to Maori literature, and it will be handy if you need to reference a term you might not know.

I am impressed that there is also a Maori definition of each item. This is nice! It is also helping me learn to try and read Maori--because I can try to read it in Maori first and then go ahead and read the English version to see how much I am comprehending.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boring read but a great reference. This book is excellent as a resource for those furthering their education in Te Ao Maori but it reads more like a small encyclopedia. Excellent for students to define concepts. Some concepts are written as if they are matter of fact, but it's important to remember that each iwi has their own interpretation and tikanga.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're interested in tikanga Maori then this book is for you. I really appreciated the bilingual format of the book, and while it is a bit dated (especially in regards to the proliferation of Maori language in NZ) I still think it's a valuable resource.

[Adenine Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, the explanations are good! His sharing of his personal accounts with it too makes it just that bit more interesting. I never knew about the origin of the word pakeha, and I find that incredibly fascinating.

It being in māori and english is also really cool to see.

[Mikaera Topia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tuhia te pukapuka nei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā hoki. An amazing dual language book.

[Ciahnan Darrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, insightful, and humble source for approaching Māori culture.

[Stark]

I am marginally less ignorant, but it’s by a pretty small margin.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how this is compiled and find the introduction particularly orienting.

[Sarah Hjertquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Te whakamīharo hoki o tēnei pukapuka! He tino pai ki a au ki te rīti i ngā reo e rua kei roto i te pukapuka ki te whakapakaritia ai tōku reo Māori.
Me rīti koutou katoa i tēnei pukapuka!

[Lewis Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction into Maori values and concepts. Appreciate the personal anecdotes woven throughout, will be a book I'll refer back to frequently.

[Apostate · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing concept! What a wonderful book! I have used this book as a reference in several courses' term papers. I wish more languages/cultures had books like this as resources for foreign learners & the younger generations of native speakers. It would be a big help getting people to connect with the culture. 'Tikanga Whakaaro' is written like an encyclopaedia, listing important concepts in Maori culture organized alphabetically by the Maori language term. The really neat thing is that each entry is in both English and Maori, for those who know or are learning the language. And for an import that came from the far end of the planet, it was very reasonably priced (I have paid much more for much less).

[Reba · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to seventy key Māori cultural concepts. As an intermediate Māori language learner, I particularly appreciated that each entry was written in both English and te reo Māori.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really useful bilingual book explaining many of Te Ao Maori concepts in an easy to understand way. Also realistically ackowledges the district differences.