Roka Pahewa Paora née Swinton

Roka Paora was born in Raukōkore and was educated at Raukōkore Primary School, Te Kaha Primary School, and Hukarere Māori Girls’ College from Roka went on to train as a teacher at Auckland Teachers’ Training College from In 1946 she began teaching as a probationary assistant at Te Kaha Primary School. She married Tini Paora, a school colleague from Te Kaha Primary, and from 1946-1960 was a primary school teacher at Te Kaha. In 1960 Roka began to teach te reo in the Secondary Department of Te Kaha District High School and from 1970-1980 was First Assistant at Te Whanau-a-Apanui Area School. In 1980 she became an itinerant teacher of Māori in the Apanui District from Maraenui to Potaka and held this position until 1986.

Roka has subsequently lectured in te reo at the Whare Wānanga o Awanuiarangi at Te Kaha, an outpost from the Whare Wānanga in Whakatane. She was also a lecturer in Māori Studies for the Auckland College of Education Outpost in Te Whanau-a-Apanui for the Diploma in Primary Teaching.

Roka has been involved with various translation projects: in 1991 she was translator of TVNZ’s Waka Huia programmes; from 1999-2001 she completed a contract with Otago University to translate Māori assessments for Kura; and she worked part time for Hakoni Ltd translating and editing English-Māori text for NZQA and the Ministry of Education. She has also translated Māori Land Court Records pertaining to the history and whakapapa of Te Whanau-a-Apanui.

Roka has written many articles, short stories and publications with a focus on teaching te reo Māori. When Tūroa Royal wanted to start a programme for Māori language learning for intermediate and secondary school students, Roka wrote the three volume Learn Māori with Parehau and Sharon. The editor of School Publications, Tilly Reedy, asked Roka to write a series of Māori readers for secondary school students; this resulted in the Te Tautoko series. Roka has also contributed to the Te Wharekura series and to John C Moorfield’s Te Whanake series. In 1971 she was a member of the Māori Language Advisory Board for Māori Publications. Alongside Dr. P. T. Jones, Dr. Pat Hohepa, Koro Dewes, Beth Ranapia and others, she edited the seventh (revised) edition of the Williams Dictionary. From 1987-1994, Roka was an editor for the Ngata Dictionary, working alongside the late Hori Ngata and his son Whai Ngata. From 2000-2001 she was contracted to the University of Waikato to write Māori stories, edit assessments and analyse Māori language assessments of Kura Kaupapa years 5 and 8.

Roka has engaged in many research projects: in 1992 she researched the C Company for the Māori Battalion booklet for Moana Ngarimu’s 50th Anniversary (held in 1993); she was researcher and informant for Nga Poutomanawa o te Hahi Mihinare ki te Rohe o Te Kaha, compiled and edited by Bishop Whakahuihui Vercoe in 1998; and she has been a researcher and informant for many other historical publications.

Roka is a long term member of Māori Women’s Welfare League Te Kaha Branch and a member of the Te Kaha Parish Vestry for many years. She was awarded a Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa Distinguished Service Medal mo te Hahi Mihinare. She is a Kaumatua advisor for various trusts and has been called on to judge Kapa Haka Regionals and Polynesian Festival competitions. She was a winner of the NZBC Original Māori Composition in 1969, has held a Māori Interpreter’s Licence since 1965, and was awarded the QSM in 1984.

Biographical sources

• Phone conversation and correspondence with Roka Paora, 11 August 1998 and 12 August 2004.