Henare Mahanga was born in Kawa Kawa. He was a graduate of the New Zealand Māori Carving School and was a Māori Studies teacher at Manukau Polytechnic. He was a Māori Language-carver and Cultural teacher at Hillary College. He was founder of Te Kupenga Māori Club. He was actively involved with many groups in Otara and was cultural tutor of Ngāti Hine, Te Kupenga, Senior, Intermediate and Junior Māori Cultural Club groups of Otara which performed on television during Telethon 1985. He organised a number of community festivals including the Manurewa Multi-Cultural Festival of January 1984, the Ngāti Papakura Marae Festival of September 1984, and the Ngāti Otara Festival of November 1984. Mahanga was an executive member of the Kotahitanga Movement in Taumarunui, a member of the Māori Queen’s Coronation Committee and founder of the Auckland Regional Youth Competitions which were established in 1983. In 1987 he took part in "Te Kupenga", a Television New Zealand programme which looked at Māori access to power and Māori values. He chaired Te Whare Tiaki Trust from its formation in 1988 and assisted in raising funds for Te Hononga Ki Tamaki Kohanga Reo Play Centre. Mahanga trained a group from Henderson and Rutherford High Schools who were part of the official welcoming group for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at Ellerslie Racecourse on 24 February 1986. He was part of the organising committee and compere of the Great Solomon Islands Multicultural Relief Concert held at Whaiora Marae Hall on 27 June 1986. Mahanga wrote non-fiction articles and his composition "Hoke Mai Kite Kainga" was used in the film production of "Arriving Tuesday" in 1986.
Biographical sources
- Correspondence from Sharon Mahanga 9 July 1998.
- Tu Tangata 26 (1985): 54.
Non-fiction
- "Auckland Māori Cultural Competitions." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 1 (Oct. 1987): 6.
- Mahanga writes of the annual Manu Ariki Regional Māori Cultural Competitions which were founded by Otara’s Te Kupenga Māori Club in 1983.
- "Auckland Sweep Takes Hauraki Competition" Te Iwi o Aotearoa 1 (Oct. 1987): 6.
- Mahanga provides results and an overview of the Hauraki Māori Cultural competitions held in October 1987.
- "Paramount Tribes Win Government Approval." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 1 (Oct. 1987): 15.
- Mahanga reports on the Government press release of 7 October 1987, which stated that the Government would ‘act on the recommendations of the Devolution Implementation Committee and the Māori people’ in a three stage strategy toward devolution.
- "A Bird’s Eye View: Review: Black Power National Convention." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 2 (Nov. 1987): 10.
- A detailed description of the Black Power National Convention held at East Tamaki in October 1987.
- "Whare Hui: Whakapara Proposed Prison Opposed by Local Māori." .” Te Iwi o Aotearoa 2 (Nov. 1987): 14.
- Mahanga writes of the petition, organised by the Ngāti Hau tribe, opposing the building of a $70 million prison at Whakapara, Northland.
- "A Māori Woman’s Dedication to the Art of the Karanga." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 2 (Nov. 1987): 16.
- A profile on Te Aue Hohi (Sophie) Hill who played an active part in welcoming visitors to the Te Māori exhibition in Auckland, N.Z.
- "China Supports Māori tribal trade Centre." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 2 (Nov. 1987): 16.
- Mahanga writes of a proposed intertribal National Trade Centre which was mooted during discussions between the Federation of Māori Authorities and Mr Mazheng, Vice-Chair of the China State Construction and Engineering Corporation.
- "Carved Canoe found in Cave." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 2 (Nov. 1987): 16.
- Mahanga reports on the discovery of an ancient carved prow piece in a cave by Lake Taupo which was decorated in the Te Arawa Ngāti Tuwharetoa carving style and depicted Wharekawa - a famous ancestress of the local people.
- "South Hokianga to Sydney Australia: Chaplain to Māori Families." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 2 (Nov. 1987): 16.
- A profile on Rev. Te Wheoki Rahiri Tahere, who replaced Rev Kingi Ihaka as chaplain to Māori in Australia in 1987
- "Māori Tourism: To offer Māori view." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 2 (Nov. 1987): 20.
- Mahanga writes of a partnership between the Māori and West German tourism industries called Cultural and Entertainment Tours New Zealand.
Other
- "Proud Ngapuhi speaks out over history - Carving Book - by Dave Simmons." Tu Tangata 26 (Oct./Nov. 1985): 54.
- Mahanga takes issue with comments made by Dave Simmons in his book Whaikairo, which implied that by the 1830s Ngapuhi carving was in decline and that Ngapuhi stole carving from other tribes.
Poetry
- "Te Hononga Ki Rarotonga Calls His Grand Child Home." Tu Tangata 23 (Apr./May 1985): 35.
- In this poem Te Hononga Ki Rarotonga pays tribute to his ‘gifted child’, Ngoi Pewhairangi, whom he now calls to ‘return home’.
- "I am Human." Te Iwi o Aotearoa 2 (Nov. 1987): 10.
- A poem of self-assertion and pride of identity.