Kahikatoa Harawira was born in Te Kao and was educated at Te Kao Native School and Te Aute College. He taught for two years at Te Aute College. After serving in World War 1, he underwent theological studies at Te Rau Anglican Theological College in Gisborne and was ordained as a minister in the Anglican Church in 1921. Harawira was Māori missioner in North Island parishes and was the first padre of the 28th Māori Battalion during World War II. He became the first Māori vocational guidance officer and held this position until 1955. He was an A grade Māori interpreter and oral Māori examiner at the University of Auckland. Harawira worked for Moral Rearmament and participated in MRA missions to India, South-East Asia, Europe, Brazil, and Tonga.
Biographical sources
- Te Ao Hou 45 (1963): 63.
- Teach Yourself Māori. Auckland, N.Z.: Heinemann Reed, 1950.
Non-fiction
- "Vocational Guidance Service." Te Ao Hou 9 (1954):10-14, 58, 62.
- In his position as Māori Vocational Guidance Officer, Harawira writes in Māori and English of the Vocational Guidance Service which was set up in 1943 by the Education Department with the purposes of assisting high school leavers in their search for suitable employment. Harawira outlines various career options and warns of the problems that face young people who leave school without sufficient qualifications. He encourages parents to assist their children in their career choices and in their pursuit of higher qualifications.
Other
- Teach Yourself Māori. Auckland, N.Z.: Heinemann Reed, 1950. 2nd ed. 1954. Rpt. 1961, 1963, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992. 3rd ed. (revised by Tîmoti Kāretu) 1994.
- In his Foreword in the first and second editions, T. R. Buxton states that Harawira sought to produce a Māori language study book that would provide the elementary aspects of the Māori language to supplement existing books of a more advanced level. Buxton adds that Harawira’s "object in writing this book has been to bridge this gap by producing a Primer suitable for use in not only Primary and Post-Primary Schools, but also by all who would wish to attain a sufficient knowledge of the Māori language to enable them to appreciate and enjoy more fully the meaning of the songs, hakas and poi dances which are such a rich feature of Māori culture." In the third edition revised by Karetu, macrons have been added to indicate the long vowels.
- Teach Yourself Māori. Auckland, N.Z.: Heinemann Reed, 1950. 2nd ed. 1954. Rpt. 1961, 1963, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992. 3rd ed. (revised by Timoti Karetu) 1994. 83-84.
- Three extracts adapted from radio talks by Harawira in which he recalls brief anecdotes of the Māori Battalion in the first and second world wars.
Other
- "Haere Ki O Koutou Tipuna." Te Ao Hou 45 (1963): 63-64.
- Benton, Richard A. Materials for Teaching and Learning the Māori Language: A Bibliography of Published Materials for Teaching Māori to Speakers of Other Languages Compiled and Annotated by Richard A. Benton. Wellington, N.Z.: New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Māori Unit, 1979. 12.
Reviews
Teach Yourself Māori.
- Te Ao Hou 11 (1955): 53.