In the late nineteenth century, the leading tohunga Pita K膩piti, at Waiapu on the East Coast, dictated an account of the rituals surrounding the cultivation of k奴mara and hue (gourds) and the hunting of kiore (rats), kerer奴 (pigeons) and k膩k膩. He also recorded many karakia and accounts of ritual and tradition, particularly those relating to the ancestors of Ng膩ti Porou. This first publication of Pita K膩piti鈥檚 teachings includes the M膩ori text in full, an English translation, an introduction, extensive annotations and a selection of photographs.
Anaru Totorewa Reedy聽(Ng膩ti Porou) is also the translator, editor and annotator of聽Ng膩 K艒rero a Mohi Ruatapu: The writings of Mohi Ruatapu聽(CUP, 1993).
Anaru Reedy became a specialist in the transcribing, translating and annotating of ancient Ng膩ti Porou texts that had been written down in te Reo M膩ori by Mohi T奴rei and H膿nare P艒tae, starting in 1871. The manuscripts were written at the dictation of renowned Ng膩ti Porou tohunga: Toki Puanga, Mohi Ruatapu, and Te Rangiuia, all teachers from the Whare W膩nanga called Te R膩wheoro, situated at Uawa near Tolaga Bay on the East Coast; and Pita K膩piti, the tohunga who taught at the Whare W膩nanga called Te Tapere-nui-o-Wh膩tonga near Tikitiki.聽Anaru Totorewa Reedy thanks the tupuna who have left us this great legacy.
A Teaching Fellowship allowed Anaru Reedy to spend a year in the Department of M膩ori at UC, 1990鈥1991, where he worked closely with Dr Margaret Orbell, and he received support for his studies from Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. At one time Lecturer in M膩ori at the College of Education, Dunedin, he went on to become Tumuaki M膩ori with Creative New Zealand. His work on聽Nga K艒rero a Pita K膩piti聽was carried out while he was Fellow in Ng膩ti Porou Oral History with the Historical Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs.
