Marewa McConnell was born in Lyttelton and was educated at Lyttelton West Primary School and Lyttelton High School. She continued her studies at Christchurch Teachers’ Training College and subsequently worked as a teacher and school principal. From 1950-1964 Marewa was part of a group led by Gordon Tovey, Senior Arts Adviser in the Department of Education; the group was involved in teaching workshops to school children and adults. During that time she wrote several publications for the Department of Education journals on waiata, carving, art, poi, stick games and string games. She was sole teacher at Rapaki Māori School and was School Principal at Lake Rotoiti Māori School, Horoera Māori School (East Cape), Paparore Māori School and Ahipara Māori School.
Biographical sources
- Correspondence from Terence McConnell on 17 and 29 July 1998.
Children's literature
- Tuterakiwhano’s Search. Retold by Rewa McConnell. Illus. Murray Grimsdale. Wellington, N.Z.: School Publications Branch, Department of Education, 1989.
- McConnell writes about Aoraki’s canoe which was wrecked and transformed into the landscape of the South Island, and describes how Aoraki’s mokopuna, Tuterakiwhano, sailed in search of Aoraki and found him petrified as the tallest mountain.
- Maui’s Fish. Retold by Rewa McConnell. Pictures by Cliff Whiting. Wellington, N.Z.: School Publications Branch, Department of Education, 1989.
- A retelling of the story of Maui going fishing with his brothers and pulling up the fish which became the North Island of Aotearoa.
- Aoraki’s Canoe. Retold by Rewa McConnell. Pictures by Murray Grimsdale. Wellington, N.Z.: School Publications Branch, Department of Education, 1989.
- McConnell tells the story of how the South Island of Aotearoa was formed, recounting that it was when Aoraki and his three younger brothers were wrecked in their canoe that their bodies and canoe were petrified into a new land with Aoraki becoming the highest mountain.