Maori & Pasifika

Tēnā koe. Nau mai ki Te Aka. Welcome to the online version of Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index.

As well as the words one would expect in a traditional dictionary, Te Aka has encyclopaedic entries including the names of plants and animals (especially native and endemic species), stars, planets and heavenly bodies, important Māori people, key ancestors of traditional narratives, tribal groups and ancestral canoes. Māori names for institutions, country names, place names and other proper names are also provided.

There are also explanations of key concepts central to Māori culture. Comprehensive explanations for grammatical items are included, with examples of usage, as are idioms and colloquialisms with their meanings and examples. These have all been included because they are important in communicating in a Māori context, and contribute to understanding and speaking the language in a natural way. Many of the separate meanings of each headword now have example sentences with translations.

Browse some of our recommended reads for great Māori and Pasifika books

The Good Doctor

by Lance O'Sullivan

Lance O'Sullivan is a man on a mission. Raised in Auckland by a solo mother, he had a modest upbringing typical of the time, if one chequered with difficulties. After being expelled from two schools, Lance could have gone off the rails. Instead, he found his way at Hato Petera College, connecting with his Māori ancestry, and going on to study medicine. The Good Doctor charts his inspirational, one-of-a-kind life story, while relaying an overarching hope for a better New Zealand.

A Maori Word a Day

by Hemi Kelly

This book offers a simple way to learn Te Reo, giving definitions and word types, some facts and background information and simple sentences in which to use each of the 365 words that can be learned over a year. I love the simplicity and accessibility of this book!

Young Queen

by Parris Goebel

Young Queen is the autobiography of a dancer with a dream...a young Polynesian girl who grew up in New Zealand and went on to conquer the hip hop world. In this honest memoir, Parris Goebel shares the extraordinary story of how she went from high-school drop out to award-winning dancer, choreographer and video director. At just 19, Parris got her big break choreographing for Jennifer Lopez. She has since worked with some of the biggest stars in music, including Janet Jackson, Rihanna and Justin Bieber, creating his record-breaking video, 'sorry'. A true #girlboss, Parris Goebel is changing the game.

Legacy

by Whiti Hereaka

The All Blacks have had a brilliant run of brothers in the last decade, with the Barretts, Whitelocks, Saveas and Franks, but there have also been many more standouts throughout New Zealand rugby history like the Meads, Whettons, Gears, Bachops and Brownlies. Jamie Wall writes insightfully, revealing fascinating stories and providing analysis of some of the massive changes that have occurred in New Zealand rugby over the years, while sharing great yarns about the high-profile tests that live on in every rugby fan's memory.

Samoan Queer Lives

by Dan Taulapapa McMullin and Yuki Kihara

Samoan Queer Lives is a collection of personal stories from one of the world's unique indigenous queer cultures. The first of its kind, this book features a collection of autobiographical pieces by fa'afafine, transgender, and queer people of Sāmoa, one of the original continuous indigenous queer cultures of Polynesia and the Pacific Islands.

Flight of the Fantail

by Steph Matuku

A busload of high school students crashes in bush in a remote part of Aotearoa New Zealand. Only a few of the teenagers survive; they find their phones don't work, there's no food, and they've only got their wits to keep them alive. There's also something strange happening here. Why are the teenagers having nosebleeds and behaving erratically, and why is the rescue effort slow to arrive? To make it out, they have to discover what's really going on and who or what is behind it all.

Slice of Heaven

by Des O'Leary

This funny, moving and thoroughly realistic teen novel teems with the colourful variety of life that is South Auckland. A complex group of boys is thrown together in detention. When they join the school’s junior softball team, it’s the perfect set-up for the ensuing clash of cultures and personalities, insights into the boys’ lives, and the chance for some unlikely bonding and personal growth.

Legacy

by Whiti Hereaka

Riki wakes after an accident to find he’s gone back a century. He is mistaken for his great-grandfather, who happens to be a soldier in the middle of Egypt during WW1 — a long way from present-day Wellington and his girlfriend. The convincing characterisation and scene setting help readers understand the moral complexities and challenges of life as a Māori soldier during the WW1 campaigns.

Cuz

by Liz Van der Laarse

River is offered a trip on his uncle's trawler. His cousin Huia is annoying, always going on about Maoritanga. When an accident leaves them stranded on the coast of Fiordland, they must work together to save themselves.

Dawn Raid

by Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith

Like many 13-year-old girls, Sofia's main worries are how to get some groovy go-go boots, and how not to die of embarrassment giving a speech at school! But when her older brother Lenny starts talking about marches and protests and overstayers, and how Pacific Islanders are being bullied by the police for their passports and papers, a shadow is cast over Sofia's sunny teenage days.

Pūrākau : Māori myths retold by Māori writers

by Witi Ihimaera

Ancient Maori creation myths, portrayals of larger-than-life heroes and tales of engrossing magical beings have endured through the ages. Some hail back to Hawaiki, some are firmly grounded in New Zealand and its landscape. Through countless generations, the stories have been reshaped and passed on. This new collection presents a wide range of traditional myths that have been retold by some of our best Maori wordsmiths. The writers have added their own creativity, perspectives and sometimes wonderfully unexpected twists, bringing new life and energy to these rich, spellbinding and significant taonga. Take a fresh look at Papatuanuku, a wild ride with Maui, or have a creepy encounter with Ruruhi-Kerepo, for these and many more mythical figures await you.

Tongan Heroes

by David Riley

Tongan Heroes presents inspirational stories of achievers who have Tonga ancestry. It includes: Legends like Aho‘eitu, Hina and Seketoa. Historical figures such as Queen Salote Tupou III, Pita VI and Professor Futa Helu. Contemporary heroes like Jonah Lomu, Captain Kamelia Zarka, Filipe Tohi, The Jets, Manu Vatuwei, Dr Wiliami Tangi and Valerie Adam