Tikanga - An Introduction to Te Ao Māori book

Tikanga is an accessible, beginner’s guide to the Māori world, and helps to understand the Māori world from a 21st century point of view. In reality, it’s better described as a Māori universe with all of the subtleties, idiosyncrasies and nuances of any culture.
The book enables readers to read with respectful curiosity and learn to appreciate some of the fascinating intricacies of the people, language and culture of indigenous Aotearoa.

Author Keri Opai said “I hope the book will resonate with Pākehā, people who weren’t born here in Aotearoa and especially Māori people who are not familiar with Māori language and Māori cultural practices.”

This is the book we’ve all been needing for decades – a unique explanation of the world of Māoridom for Pakehā, and any others who may feel a little disconnected from the Māori world. Told with simple lucidity and great expertise, Keri Opai shares the spirit and meaning of what it is to be Maori in the 21st century. He dispells myths and misconceptions and providing a view of our tangata whenua that people from other cultures can understand and take pride in. 

Keri Opai, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Ruanui, Waiohua, Ngāti Te Ata, Ngāti Porou, is a distinguished Māori educator, linguist, and author of Te Reo Hapai, the seminal work in creating a Maori language glossary for mental health, disability and addiction. He was the first person to qualify as an official Te Reo translator, and advises widely on cultural issues.