After coming up with the presentation you saw earlier in this course a friend sent me a 2020 Pacific Studies journal, which included an article about the power of Māori women. The article was written by Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku. Terrified that I had gone off-piste, I dropped everything and devoured Ngāhuia’s text. Relief washed over me. We were talking about many of the same women. Surely this meant I was on the right track. I hadn’t seen her in 25 years, but Ngāhuia is someone I hold in high esteem. I knew her as the intellectually fearless, green tea-drinking, Harley-riding Professor and Head of the Department of Māori Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. She took me on as a PhD student when few others would. I have looked up to her ever since. In April 2024, she released a memoir Hine Toa – A Story of Bravery, which I encourage you to buy now and read. Now I know how fortunate I was that our paths crossed.
These books about inspirational wāhine might also interest you:
So might these websites:
If you prefer podcasts, prepare to be amazed by:
Wāhine are featuring more prominently in public places too – thanks to…
We’re also remembering wāhine on screen (click on thumbnails for previews):