Kuini Moehau Reedy

Ngāti Porou

1941 -

Kuini Reedy was born at Waipiro Bay and was educated at Gisborne Cook’s College and Gisborne Girls’ High School. She has a Certificate in Māori Studies from Waikato University. She has attended Victoria University and Wellington Teachers’ College where she graduated with a Diploma of Teaching. She has been Manu Kura Te Kuratini at Wellington Polytechnic, part-time lecturer in Social work at Victoria University and an announcer on Te Upoko-o-Te Ika radio station. Reedy is currently the principal at the new Kura Kaupapa in Gisborne. She is a composer and performing arts specialist and is working on a book on waiata. Her book of waiata for children, Nga Waiata Ma Nga Tamariki Nohinohi, sold out in its original printing of 4000 copies. She has written haka, waiata, poetry and dirges and her main focus is promoting te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.

Biographical sources

  • Phone conversation and correspondence from Kuini Reedy, 15 Sept. 1998 and 23 Sept. 2004.
  • Te Ha questionnaire, 1992.
  • New Zealand Who’s Who Aotearoa. Ed. Alister Taylor. Vol. 1. Auckland, N.Z.: NZ Who’s Who Aotearoa, 1992. 238.

    Children's literature

  • "E Te Tau/ My Loved One." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 8. In Māori and English. Rpt. in The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry/Ngā Kupu T˚tohu o Aotearoa. Ed. Miriama Evans, Harvey McQueen and Ian Wedde. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1989. 430-431. Rpt. in Māori in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Volume IV: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Selected and edited by Witi Ihimaera. Contributing editors: Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed Books, 1994. 157.
  • The speaker urges her ‘loved one’ to learn and maintain te reo Māori, to be cleansed by ‘the life stream of Waiwhetu’ and to share ‘the house Te Aroha...with all other kohanga’.
  • "Ngaa Koiti/Fingers." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 8. In Māori and English. 10-11.
  • A song teaching the different Māori names of the fingers.
  • "Iwi Rerekee/Creepy people." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 8. In Māori and English. Rpt. in The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry/Ngā Kupu T˚tohu o Aotearoa. Ed. Miriama Evans, Harvey McQueen and Ian Wedde. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1989. 11.
  • "Ngaa Kararehe/The Animals." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 8. In Māori and English. . 12.
  • A song celebrating various animals.
  • "Tiitii Toorea/ Stick Game Song." Composed by Moehau Reedy and kuia and kaumaatua of Pukeatua Koohanga Reo. He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 15.
  • A short song to sing while playing stick game songs.
  • "Inu Miraka/Drinking Milk." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 8. In Māori and English. 17.
  • A song highlighting the value of drinking milk.
  • "Takiwaru (Whai I Te Ora.) /Let’s Scrub Up And Down (Keep Healthy)." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 18-19.
  • A song teaching children how to clean their teeth and the importance of exercise.
  • "Te Tangi A Te Poraka/ The Song Of The Frog." Composed by Moehau Reedy from another song by Matekina Brown. He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 20.
  • "Hoomai Too Poho/Cuddle Me." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 21.
  • A song focusing on a child’s need for love, touch, language and a sense of belonging in order to learn and grow.
  • "Paepikinga/Climbing Steps." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 23.
  • Learning numbers.
  • "Kia Tuupato/Be Careful." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 26-27.
  • "Kanikani Pakoko." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 28.
  • "Whakaahua Tiipuna/ The Work Of Your Ancestors." ibid. 14-15. Rpt. in Māori as "Whakaahua T˚puna." In Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 293.
  • The composer recalls the weaving, fishing, carving and gathering of supplies of the Māori ancestors.
  • "Tuna Parapara/Slimy Eels." He Waiata Maa Ngaa Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs for Very Young Children. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand, 1984. 22. Rpt. in Māori in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 58-59.
  • A fishing song.
  • "Ngaa Raa O Te Wiki/The Days Of The Week." ibid. 22. Rpt. in Måori in Te Ao Mårama: Contemporary Måori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 24.
  • Composed with Heneriata Maxwell.

    • Music

  • Nga Waiata Ma Nga Tamariki Nohinohi: Songs For Very Young Children. Songs sung by Henerieta Maxwell and Moehau Reedy. Comp. Piripi Walker. Ed. Kathryn Irvine. Wellington, N.Z.: Radio New Zealand’s Continuing Education Unit. No further details.
  • 25 songs in Māori and English with tape.

    • Poetry

  • "Te Mana Motuhake/The Special Mana." Trans. Te Aomuhurangi Temamaka Jones. The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Poetry/Ngā Kupu T˚tohu o Aotearoa. Ed. Miriama Evans, Harvey McQueen and Ian Wedde. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1989. 429-430. Rpt. in Māori in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing. Volume 5: Te Tōrino: The Spiral. Selected and edited by Witi Ihimaera. Contributing editors: Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed Books, 1996. 271.
  • The speaker calls her people ‘to push through darkness, /to raise up, to advance / the proposal’ of te mana motuhake as articulated by the great Māori leaders of the past.

    • Sound recordings

  • Ko Taku Taha Rangātiratanga Ko Taku Reo Māori Na Ian Heketia Nepia. Whanganui o Tara Aotearoa: Te Pou Taki Kōrero, Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga, 1992.
  • 1 sound cassette (9 min.): analog, stereo. Performed by: Te kaihautu, Apirana Taylor; tangiwaiata, Henrietta Maxwell, Kuini Moehau Reedy, Napi Wāka; kaiwhakatangitangi, Henrietta Maxwell, Maia Wilcox, Jeanie Polwart; kaikōrero, Piripi Waretini. Recorded from: Te Tautoko 13.

    • Traditional

  • "He Haka Pōwhiri mō te Herengawaka Marae." Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 5: Te Torino: The Spiral. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1996. 272.