Pā Henare Tate's master work returns to print

A bold attempt to harmonise Christian and traditional Māori beliefs

Oratia Books is delighted to welcome back into print He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama, the seminal work of theology and spirituality by the late Pā Henare Tate. 

Pā Tate was a renowned leader of the Catholic Church and his community in the northern Hokianga, Northland. Formerly a lecturer at the Auckland Catholic Institute of Theology and the University of Auckland, he passed away on his ancestral lands at Motutī in 2017. 

In this book, Pā set out to reconcile the deeply held Christian beliefs of Māori with the indigenous world view that they have inherited and are increasingly rediscovering.

 

He argues that the traditional Christian message has fallen short of speaking intimately and powerfully to the Māori experience. 

 

He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama offers one response and contribution to this call by attempting to develop the foundations of an indigenous Māori theology. 

 

It addresses both the kaupapa (principles) and the tikanga (process or method) whereby such a theology can develop, and then sets out some foundations for it through concepts rooted in Māori culture and history.

He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama won the non-fiction category in the Ngā Kupu Ora Aotearoa Māori Book Awards in 2013.

Out of print for several years, the book has been updated by Ted Ratana and Albert Robertson of DoW Holdings, which administers the Dynamics of Whānaungatanga programme that Pā Tate launched in 1992.

The book retains its central place in the delivery of social programmes and workshops across Aotearoa.

The author

Pā Henare Tate (Ngāti Manawa, Te Rarawa) was formerly a lecturer at the Auckland Catholic Institute of Theology, and the University of Auckland School of Theology. He obtained a doctorate from The Melbourne College of Divinity, and was a specialist in Māori spirituality. Pā passed away on his turangawaewae in the Hokianga in 2017.

Publication Date: 10 November 2021 |  ISBN: 978-1-99-004203-4 |  RRP $80

Paperback, 240 x 160 mm, 320 pages, b&w

Haere atu rā Pā Henare Tate

It is with sadness that we share news of the passing of Pā Henare Tate (Ngāti Manawa, Te Rarawa), the author of He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama.

Pā Tate passed away in Rawene, Northland on Saturday after a long illness.

A priest, whānau and community leader, Pā was a former lecturer at the Catholic Institute of Theology in Auckland. He earned a doctorate in theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity, which formed the basis for his book.

He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama sets out the foundation for an indigenous Māori theology, integrating traditional and Christian beliefs to form a distinctively Māori response.

An intelligent, humane and warm man, and a superb speaker of Te Reo Māori, Pā will be much missed by all those who knew him.

His tangi is taking place at his home marae of Motutī, in the northern Hokianga.

Haere atu rā e mātua kei tua o te ārai. As you wrote in the introduction to your book:

Kua ū te waka ki uta ka titiro ki waho, ki te ara moana. 
The canoe has come ashore and one looks back on the ocean pathway. 

Ngā Kupu Ora honours Pā Henare Tate

Thank you to Massey University for hosting a memorable ceremony last Thursday to celebrate the winners of the Ngā Kupu Ora Aotearoa Māori Book Awards.

An audience of over 180 people attended the evening in Te Raukura Wharewaka on Wellington’s waterfront, honouring five authors in the categories of biography, fiction, non-fiction, Māori language and the special award.

I was proud to be there as part of the group to tautoko Pā Henare Tate, who accepted the Non-Fiction/Te Kōrero Pono awards for his He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama: A Little Spring in the World of Light.

The judges described Pā’s work as “a compelling and passionate description of the role that tikanga and kaupapa play in the construction of a Māori Christian theological framework.”

Other winners included esteemed fiction writer Witi Ihimaera for White Lies, and Bradford Haami for his work Ka Mau te Wehi.

Massey has taken an important initiative with these awards, now in their fifth year, and which aim to foster Māori literary excellence, authorship and scholarship.

Pā Henare Tate with supporters; Sister Magdalen Sheahan (centre) was a key editor on the book. 

Staff members of Massey University/Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa in full flight 

Pā Henare Tate receives Māori Book Award

With great pleasure we can announce that Pā Henare Tate’s He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama, published by Libro International last November, has won the Te Kōrero Pono/Non-fiction category in the Ngā Kupu Ora Aotearoa Māori Book Awards.

The awards, administered by Massey University, will be granted in a ceremony at Te Wharewaka o Poneke function centre in Wellington on 7 November.

Identified in five categories – biography, fiction, non-fiction, te reo Māori and a special award – the winners were selected from books published between August 2012 and July this year.

Chair of the three-member judging panel and Massey University senior lecturer, Dr Spencer Lilley said the awards are held to address the dearth of Māori literature for adults.

“The awards were created as a result of other major book awards consistently failing to acknowledge Māori authors. The Awards also foster Māori literary excellence, authorship and scholarship in te reo Māori,” he said.

Pā Henare’s work, which is subtitled A Little Spring in the World of Light, was described by the judges as a compelling description of the role that Māori tikanga (protocols) and kaupapa (methodologies) play in the construction of a Māori Christian theological framework.

“This scholarly text joins other seminal works on tikanga Māori by Barlow (Tikanga Whakaaro: key concepts in tikanga Māori) and Mead (Tikanga Māori: living by Māori values),” the judges said.

Our hearty congratulations to Pā Henare for this much deserved recognition.

http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/maori/maori_book_awards/2013-awards/2013-awards_home.cfm

Pā Henare Tate (Ngāti Manawa, Te Rarawa) was formerly a lecturer at the Auckland Catholic Institute of Theology, and the University of Auckland School of Theology. A recognised specialist in Māori spirituality, he now lives lives in Motuti, in northern Hokianga.  

He Puna Iti i Te Ao Mārama: A Little Spring in the World of Light

Pā Henare Tate

978-1-877514-54-8

240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 320 pp

$75 

A special celebration

Peter, Isabell and Sascha (Isabell's partner) were delighted to travel to the northern Hokianga to tautoko Pā Henare Tate for a day of celebrations on 1 December - marking his Golden Jubilee (50 years) as a priest, the Silver Jubilee of the house Tamatea at Motuti marae, and the official launch of Pā's book He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama.

The day started at Panguru with Pā officiating at the unveiling of a headstone for Himi Hauata, attended by family members from as far away as Canada and Australia.

Pa Tate welcoming family members to the first event of the day, the unveiling of the headstone              for Himi Hauata

Guests then travelled to Motuti for the first of two pōwhiri - welcoming visitors to the marae and, later, Pā with his fellow priests. 

The hau kainga at Motuti await the arrival of the manuhiri

The lunch marquee, where some 360 guests enjoyed the best of Northland fare

 After the pōwhiri and mass, a fine lunch was served in the wharekai and a specially erected marquee. Then it was time to launch He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama officially. 

Pā had already ritually initiated the book (see blog of 26 November) but this was the official presentation to the people of Motuti. Pā blessed the book and outlined his aims in seeking to ground Christian theology in the Māori world view. Peter spoke of his pride in publishing such a significant work, and acknowledged the contributions and support received from many parties. 

Pā Tate blesses the book

Publisher Peter Dowling supporting the book's release

 A big queue formed to buy signed copies of He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama, testament to the aroha and esteem felt for Pā. The sun was out, the fine students of Hato Petera college took to the marae atea to entertain, and a memorable day drew to a close.

Students from Hato Petera college entertain the many guests

Vapi Kupenga speaks to Pā Henare Tate about He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama

Listen to it here:

http://www.waateanews.com/site/uma/images/podcasts/Thursday_Night_23_11_2012_-_Pa_Henare_Tait_1_Pub.mp3

Whakatere ki Tai: The Launch of He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama

It was a drizzly and windy day at Arai-te-uru, Hokianga South Head, when Pā Henare Tate and his ope from Motuti arrived to a powerful pōwhiri by over 60 people - kaumātua, kuia, parents, young people and a baby - from various South Hokianga communities. It was Saturday 17^th November 2012. Pā Henare had come for a ritual he termed, “Whakatere ki Tai”. The first copy of his book, He Puna iti i te Ao Mārama (A Little Spring in the World of Light) was to be gifted to the sea. Following the pōwhiri and whakahoki mihi, the book was wrapped in a gold cloth, tied with flax, and placed in a kete, and carried by an appointed person down to the water’s edge for Pā Henare to cast into the sea. It was not the best day for the ritual. E pari mai ana te tai. The tide was coming in. E papaki tū ana ngā ngaru o Hokianga. The waves were pounding against the rocks. After a short karakia, Pā Henare cast the book into the swirling water. The tide and waves brought the book back into shore, as if it didn’t really want to go. Then there was a second cast of the book. It was told in no uncertain terms that it was to go. Eventually, the book disappeared from sight. 

The ceremony signified the letting go and sending forth of the first fruit of his labour just as the practice was in the days of the tūpuna. In their days, the first fruit of crops, fish, arts, crafts were given away. Even the first-born child, called mātāmua, was taken and raised by the tūpuna (grandparents). The spirituality behind the ritual was that in giving away, one received the same in greater abundance. Secondly, in giving away what one had produced, one learnt that nothing produced was for oneself alone. In this case, a book is for others to read and not just reserved for the author. 

It was the fifth book Pā Henare had brought to Arai-te-uru for release. He said Arai-te-uru was a very special place for him. In 1976, he had composed pātere, waiata, haka and waiata poi from nearby for the Rāwene 150^th celebrations in 1977. The waiata “Karanga Hokianga” is one of those songs. The first performance by the combined culture groups for the Rāwene celebrations were also performed for the open sea at a nearby spot.

“Whakatere ki Uta” (launching ashore) will be held during celebrations on Tamatea marae on 1^st December. The book will be available on that day.

To end the ceremony, all retired to Waiwhatawhata marae for mihi and kai – anō te manaaki o te iwi. What hospitality!

by  Pā Henare