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I’ve been reading articles for the past few days talking about the ongoing debate between LibLime/PTFS and the Koha community working on a different version of the same software. Here is an article from Linux Weekly from last year describing the forking issue, the point at which LibLime/PTFS started independently developing their own version of the open source ILS Koha. Recently LibLime was granted the use of the trademark Koha in and around New Zealand according to their press release though it’s not entirely clear if a Maori word can even be trademarked. The Koha community centered around the original code at the Horowhenua Library Trust is concerned

The Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-loved Book has been awarded for 2011 to Tangaroa’s Gift/Te Koha a Tangaroa, a bilingual picture book written and illustrated by Mere Whaanga and first published by Ashton Scholastic in 1990.

The Gaelyn Gordon Award is given annually for a children’s or young adult book which did not win a New Zealand award at the time of publication but has been in print for more than five years and has proved itself a favourite with New Zealand children.

“At first publication, Tangaroa’s Gift: Te Koha a Tangaroa was a finalist for the AIM Children’s Book Awards, the Esther Glen Award for writing and, unusually, also for the Russell Clark Award for illustration,” says Storylines Trust chair Dr Libby Limbrick. “It is wonderful that this fine and enduring book by an accomplished writer and illustrator… should now be honoured with this award.”

Of Ngati Rongomaiwahine and Ngati Kahungunu descent, Mere Whaanga is a writer, illustrator, historian and an academic. Raised on an isolated sheep station on the East Coast of New Zealand, she was inspired by her father’s respect for the land and his love of Mâori history and mythology. She completed her M Phil Maori Studies at Massey University in 2000 and says of her writing “I write from a Maori perspective, always with the intention that the work has integrity while being accessible to those who may know little about our culture and people.”

On April 2nd, Storylines will celebrate Mere Whaanga and all the 2011 Storylines Award Winners with its annual Storylines Margaret Mahy Day. The event will take place from 9am – 1pm at King’s School (258 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland). All are invited to attend the celebrations which will include this year’s Margaret Mahy Medal Award winner, Kate De Goldi delivering her lecture. To register, click here.

I’m always eager to find poetry from the voices of indigenous poets. Thus, I was so pleased to see poems by Māori poets in the wonderful Kiwi collection of poetry for young people from New Zealand, Poetry Pudding. Here’s one that just begs to be read aloud. It's a poem that captures the Māori legend of Māui fishing up Te Ika (the North Island). I think children of any culture would love the musicality of these lines.


Maui Chant
by Dorothy Wharehoka

Maui-tiki-tiki-a-Taranga
had a magic fish hook
with his foster brothers
paddled out to sea
in his waka. Hei!

Maui-tiki-tiki-a-Taranga
took his magic fish hook
swung it round his head
threw it in the sea
said his karakia. Hei!

Maui-tiki-tiki-a-Taranga
pulled his magic fish hook
tugged his magic fish hook
heaved his magic fish hook
Te Ika Nui. Hei!

Argante, Jenny. Ed. 2007. Poetry Pudding; A Delicious Collection of Rhyme and Wit. Ill. by Debbie Tipuna. Auckland, NZ: Reed Publishing, p. 105.

Poetry Pudding includes a sprinkling of small black and white illustrations that do not distract from the poems. And there’s a fun font and placement of words on the page, usually centered on the page with generous margins, creating an inviting look and feel. It also includes a table of contents, index of poets, and index of first lines—always helpful. All in all, I’m so glad I sought out this collection all the way from New Zealand. It’s reassuring and exhilarating to connect with others who value poetry for young people!


Picture credit: www.tepapa.govt.nz