Tilly Te Koingo Reedy

Ngāti Porou

1934 -

Tilly Reedy was born and raised in Hiruharama on the East Coast. She went to training college and married Tamati Reedy in her first year at College. Later the family moved to Auckland and Reedy studied for a B.A. in Māori and Education part-time. After graduating she began lecturing in Māori language at the Auckland University’s Anthropology Department. She has worked for the School Publications division of the Department of Education with responsibility for Māori language texts and has been a curriculum officer with the Department of Education. She has been an adviser to various government departments including Education, Justice, Women’s Affairs, External Relations and Trade, Labour, Housing and Te Puni Kōkiri. She managed the Māori Unit of the New Zealand Planning Council. Tilly is a Director of Reedy Holdings Ltd, a Research and Educational Consultancy set up in 1990 with her husband, Tamati.

Biographical sources

  • Correspondence from Tilly Reedy 28 Feb. 1998.
  • Broadsheet 13 (1973): 7-9.
  • Robertson, Rosanne. "New Face in Māori Education." Te Māori 5.6 (1973): 32-33.
  • Reedy, Tilly. "The Māori in the Future: A Woman’s View." He Mātāpuna: A Source: Some Māori Perspectives. NZPC No. 14. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Kaunihera Whakakaupapa mō Aotearoa, New Zealand Planning Council, Dec. 1979. 42. Rpt. in 1989.
  • Te Ao Mārama: Regaining Aotearoa: Māori Writers Speak Out. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 2: He Whakaatanga O Te Ao: The Reality. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1993. 273.

    Non-fiction

  • "The Māori in the Future: A Woman’s View." He Mātāpuna: A Source: Some Māori Perspectives. NZPC No. 14. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Kaunihera Whakakaupapa mō Aotearoa, New Zealand Planning Council, Dec. 1979. 43-47. Rpt. in 1989.
  • In assessing the Māori of the future, Reedy discusses the aspects of her life which she considers vital to carry her into the future: her belief in a spiritual force greater than herself; belief in her ancestors, and her taha Māori with its inherent fundamentals - te reo Māori, te whenua, manaakitanga, aroha and te marae. She also asserts the importance of economic independence, political involvement so that Māori can get into decision-making roles, and physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
  • "Pieces of Silver." Puna Wairere: Essays by Māori. Wellington, N.Z.: New Zealand Planning Council/Te Kaunihera Whakakaupapa mō Aotearoa, 1990. 85-90.
  • This paper is written at two levels: on one hand Reedy describes her time in Geneva observing the discussion on Convention 107 at the United Nations on ‘the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples to maintain their own distinct identity and culture’, and on the other hand, Reedy recalls the creation stories of her own tribe, Ngāti Porou, and her own upbringing in the Māori world which contained so many strong role models amongst its womenfolk. In recalling her tribal heritage, the writer disbelieves that ‘her proudly fearless tipuna would give up their tino rangātiratanga for "thirty pieces of silver".’
  • "Viewpoint." Listener & TV Times 10 June 1991. 7. Rpt. as "The Shark and the Kahawai." In Te Ao Mārama: Regaining Aotearoa: Māori Writers Speak Out. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 2: He Whakaatanga O Te Ao: The Reality. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1993. 273-274.
  • Reedy discusses the recurring assimilatory and integrationist policies inflicted on Māori over the last 150 years and states that Māori want ‘to control our own destiny, own development and to be an active partner of the Treaty of Waitangi.’ Reedy asserts that Māoridom can achieve ‘financial independence and political power’ through ‘joint partnerships with overseas finance companies and their governments.’

    Other

  • Robertson, Rosanne. "New Face In Māori Education." Te Māori 5.6 (Nov. 1973): 32-33.
  • A profile on Reedy’s appointment as editor of the Māori publications section of the School Publications Branch of the Department of Education.
  • Wishart, Kitty. "Talking to Polynesian Women Part II." Broadsheet 13 (1973): 7-9.
  • Interview with Tilly Reedy in one of a series of interviews with Māori women.
  • Erai, Michelle, Fuli, Everdina, Irwin, Kathie and Wilcox, Lenaire. Māori Women: An Annotated Bibliography. [Wellington, N.Z.]: Michelle Erai, Everdina Fuli, Kathie Irwin and Lenaire Wilcox, 1991. 27.