Born and raised in Pātea, Airana Ngarewa (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru, Ngāruahine) is a teacher and writes about Māori affairs for The Spinoff. His writing has also been published by RNZ, NZ Herald, Newsroom and Landfall. He won the short story and poetry competitions at the Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards in 2022. The Bone Tree is a number 1 bestseller in Aotearoa and his debut novel.
Nōnahea koe tīmata ai tō mahi tuhituhi, ā, he aha koe i whai ai te ara o te kaituhi?
Nō ngā tau e rima kua hipa tīmata ai au te pakiwaitara nei a The Bone Tree. Koinei hoki te tīmatanga o tōku haerenga ki tēnei ao, i te ao tuhituhi.
I taua wā, i kitea ko wai e kawe ana i te hītori o Taranaki ki tēnā whare, ki tēnā whare, ka tū ake te pīrangi tuhi i a au. Ki taku rongo, ehara nā Ngāi Māori te kawe otiia, ko ngā kaituhi Pākeha kē, ko John Houston rātou ko James Belich, ko Percy Smith. Ahakoa nā Ngāi Māori i kawe ngā kōrero tuku iho ki ngā kāinga tūturu, nā kaituhi Pākeha kē i kawe ki ngā kāinga hou. Kāore i te tika tērā ki a au. Me pono nei te kōrero: Mā te Māori mō Māori. Nō reira, e tika ana me tīmata ki te tuhi pakiwaitara Māori mō te Māori.
He aha rā ngā whakaritenga e whāia ai e koe i tāu mahi tuhituhi, he tukanga, he wāhi motuhake ki reira tuhituhi ai, he wā pai ake o te rā, te pō te aha, te aha?
I ia ata, ka whakawāteahia e au ki te hīrere. Koinei te tino tikanga māku. Hāunga tērā, me panui i ia rā, kātahi me tuhi i ia rā. Mā te haratau, ka tū te huhuatanga.
Ki ō whakaaro, ka pēhea nei ngā whakaaro o ō tīpuna mō tāu pukapuka? Ka pēhea ā rātou urupare mai?
Ko te tumanako he pai te hua o ōku ringa ki a rātou. Engari kāore au i te pāku mohio. I ētahi wā, i te whakaarotia kei te arahi i ōku tūpuna i a au. Engari ehara au i te matakite. Kei te noho pūmau te īnanga nei ki te ao kikokiko. Nō reira, ka tika me waiho i te wairua ki te ao wairua. Mā rātou i mahi i ā rātou mahi, māku i mahi i āku mahi.
Ka rongo pēhea nei tō ngākau ina whai mōhiotanga ai koe ka tāia ai tō pukapuka?
I tau te mauri. Ahakoa ka piki ka heke, e ū ana au ki te maungārongo ki waho, otirā ki roto hoki.
He aha rā ō wawata mō tāu nā pukapuka?
Karekau. Kua timu atu te tai o tāku mahi, ka pari ake te tai o ā rātou mahi. Nō reira, kei a rātou, kei a te hunga e panui ana i The Bone Tree, te mana i tēnei wā.
He aha rā ētahi ake hinonga e whāia ana e koe ināianei, e manakotia ana rānei te whai atu hei tua?
He kohikohinga pakiwaitara poto kei te haere. He hāwhe reo Māori, he hāwhe reo Pākeha. Ka tū te kohikohinga ki te oneone tapu o Pātea, ki te pokapū o Te ikaroa a Māui.
He aha ētahi tīwhiri kei a koe e whakawhanake ai te whakawhanaungataga i waenga i te hapori Māori tuhituhi kōrero?
E tū mokemoke ana te kauri nei i te ngahere o Pātea. Ahakoa he nunui ngā pūkenga ki kōnei, he pūkenga kē. Nō reira, ina hiahia ki te whai hui, ka whai hua tenei rākau ki tēnā atu ao, ki tēnā atu ao. Nō reira, anei te tino tīwhiri: Whakawhānuitia tāu whātorotoro.
He pukapuka nā tētahi kaituhi Māori kua pānui mai koe nō tata ake nei i ngākau pai ai ki a koe, ā, he aha oti te mea i pai ai ki a koe?
Ko Ngati Ruanui nā Tony Sole. He nui ngā kura huna i roto rā.
He kōrero akiaki āu mā te hunga tuhituhi Māori e ara ake nei?
Kaua e whai i ngā tapuwae o tētahi atu, me whakatakoto te ara tika māu.
He aha rā ō pae tawhiti i te ao tuhituhi nei?
Ko te manako nui, ko te manako tapu, ko te panui, ko te tuhi. Kei a au te mana o ōku karu, otira kei a au te mana o tōku arero. Hāunga aua mea, Kei a te ao.
