Apirana Mahuika studied at Auckland University and graduated in 1966. He spent a year in Australia studying at Moore Theological College in Sydney and has been a chaplain at St Stephen’s School, Bombay, Auckland. He has lectured in Māori language at Victoria University and is a Senior Lecturer in Māori Studies at Massey University. Mahuika is Chair of the Māori Buildings and Advisory Committee of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. He is the Ngāti Porou Trust Board’s Chair and is Chair of the National Māori Congress. He is a board member of the Museum of New Zealand.
Biographical sources
- Te Ao Hou 54 (1966): 50
- "Some Māoris Upset over Race Route." The Press 25 Nov. 1992: 5.
Non-fiction
- "The Māori Bishop." Te Kaunihera Māori: New Zealand Māori Council Journal 1.6 (Dec. 1967): 45.
- Mahuika outlines what he believes are the necessary criteria for appointing a Māori Bishop and argues that such an appointee must have a high level of educational attainment and be bi-lingual. He concludes "[a] first rate Māori Bishop, who is both an intellectual and spiritual leader, is essential if the role of the Church is to remain a real force in the Māori community.’
- "Horticulture on the East Coast?" Te Kaunihera Māori: New Zealand Māori Council Journal Winter (1968): 29-35.
- Mahuika provides a detailed analysis of the different ways farming on the East Coast can be diversified and intensified beyond the traditional avenues of sheep and cattle farming.
- "A Plea to Break the Tradition: Further Comment." Te Kaunihera Māori: New Zealand Māori Council Journal Spring (1968?): 47+.
- Mahuika writes a response to members of Victoria University’s Anthropology Department who wrote a critique of Kiri Haira’s article "Māori Students: A Plea To Break The Tradition." (Published in Te Kaunihera Māori: New Zealand Māori Council Journal 1.6 (Dec 1967): 31+.
- "The Māori Student and University." Te Kaunihera Māori: NZ Māori Council Journal Summer (1969): 59.
- In this short article Mahuika writes of the importance of Māori students receiving guidance and support in their choice of papers and from Māori academics, students and the Māori communities.
- "Farmers and Development Schemes: An East Coast View." Te Māori: The Official Journal of the New Zealand Māori Council 1.3 (Summer 1969/70?): 23+.
- Mahuika looks at the respective problems facing the private Māori farmer and the Māori Affairs Development Schemes on the East Coast. While the Māori farmer returned to poorly developed land after the Second World War and continued to struggle under enormous financial constraints, Mahuika notes that the Development Schemes had access to ‘better developed properties’ and Government loans.
- "Leadership: Inherited and Achieved." Te Ao Hurihuri: The World Moves On. Ed. Michael King. Wellington, N.Z.: Hicks Smith, 1975: 86-114. Rpt. in Te Ao Hurihuri: Aspects of Māoritanga. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1992. 42-49.
- A detailed study of tribal and hapu leadership and the traditional designators of rank such as primogeniture, achieved leadership, mana and tapu, and marriage. Mahuika’s analysis of traditional leadership in Ngāti Porou challenges the ‘popularly defined elements of leadership in Māori society’ which would state that leadership is determined by primogeniture of the male line and that only men can be leaders. Mahuika suggests there are tribal variations to these commonly held elements and draws upon Ngāti Porou tradition and whakapapa to illustrate primogeniture practised irrespective of gender and lists senior subtribes that are named after women. He also shows there were women who were not first born who achieved leadership such as Hinerupe and Hinetapora And others like Hineauta had their rank confirmed by clearly recognised mana and tapu. Mahuika closes his essay by examining contemporary leadership and the impact of the Church and modern educational practices.
- "Rongopai Restored: With the Help of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust." Te Kaea 5 (Feb. 1981): 20-21.
- A description of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust’s project to restore Māori buildings, facilitated by the Trust’s Māori Buildings and Advisory Committee, with details of the project at Hinetapora Meeting House, Ruatoria, and at Rongopai, at Waituhi.
- "Intensive Land Use and Ngāti Porou." Tu Tangata 26 (Oct./Nov. 1985): 46-47.
- Mahuika writes this article in response to Michael Romanos’ article "The Grapes of Joy at Tikitiki" (Tu Tangata 23 (Apr./May 1985): 5-6), which dealt with amalgamating Māori land and developing viticulture on the East Coast. Mahuika begins by giving a brief outline of Part XXIV of the 1955 Māori Affairs Act which deals with the amalgamation of ‘several adjoining blocks of land to form one unit’ and discusses various issues raised by Mrs Iritanga Tawhiwhirangi who supported the amalgamation.
- "Piripi Taumata-a-Kura." Api Mahuika and Steven Oliver. The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ed. W. H. Oliver. Vol. 1. 1769-1869. Wellington, N.Z.: Allen & Unwin; Dept. of Internal Affairs, 1990. 433-434. Rpt. in A People’s History: Illustrated Biographies from The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ed. W. H. Oliver. Vol. 1. 1769-1869. Wellington, N.Z.: Bridget Williams Books, Department of Internal Affairs, 1992. 221-222.
- An account of the life of Ngāti Porou evangelist Taumata-a-Kura who was taken captive by the Nga Puhi and transported to Waimate North where he was educated at the Waimate North mission school. He later became an evangelist amongst the Ngāti Porou and had an impact on the Ngāti Porou treatment of their enemies in battle.
Other
- "University Subjects and Māori Language Teaching." Te Kaunihera Māori: New Zealand Māori Council Journal 3.1 (Apr. 1968): 11.
- Mahuika writes in response to Kiri Haira’s article "Māori Students: A Plea to Break the Tradition", in the December 1967 issue of Te Kaunihera Māori, and agrees with her sentiments on the large number of Māori students majoring in Māori Studies and Anthropology at the expense of other disciplines. Mahuika advocates the establishing of a separate Māori Department at Victoria University or the instituting of Māori Studies within the Modern Languages Department.
- Te Reo Māori: First Lessons in Māori One. Wellington, N.Z.: Reed Education, 1974.
- Ko Poaka Kunekune Au. Whanganui-A-Tara [Wellington, N.Z.]: Māori and Island Education Division, Department of Education, 1984.
- This Māori language text for children explores tasting sweet and sour food. An English translation appears in smaller print on each page of the text and a short vocabulary is found at the end of the book.
- Tu Tangata 34 (Feb./Mar. 1987): 34.
- Mahuika responds to comments made by Patrick Nicholas in Tu Tangata 31 (Aug./Sept. 1986) concerning Sir Apirana Ngata, and Mahuika writes of Ngata’s great contribution to Māoridom.
- Ko Rehutai raua ko Tangitangi. He mea kōrero na Miriam Smith ko te Whakamāori na Api Mahuika ko nga whakaahua na Penny Newman. Whanganui-a-Tara [Wellington, N.Z.]: Te Ropu Mahipukapukakura, Te Tari Matauranga, 1988
- Māori language translation by Api Mahuika of Miriam Smith’s Rehutai and Tangitangi.
- Te Taitama. He mea kōrero ano na Miriam Smith ko te whakamāori na Api Mahuika ko nga whakaahua na Clare Bowes. Whanganui-a-Tara [Wellington, N.Z.]: Te Ropu Mahipukapukakura, Te Tari Matauranga, 1988.
- Māori translation by Api Mahuika of Smith’s story The Boy from the Sea.
Reviews
- Rev. of The Māoris of New Zealand by Joan Metge. Te Kaunihera Māori: New Zealand Māori Council Journal 1.6 (Dec. 1967): 21-23.
Theses
- "Nga Wahine Kai-Hautu o Ngāti Porou/The Female Leaders of the Ngāti Porou." MA thesis, U. of Sydney, 1973.
- Written in Māori and English.
Other
- "Some Māoris Upset Over Race Route." The Press 25 Nov. 1992: 5.
- 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. 13.