Tainui Stephens, Author at E-Tangata

To be Māori requires action

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Nov 1, 2020 | Reo

“For parents on our own language journeys, we need to bring our children along for the ride.” — Tainui Stephens.

Pay attention to those who go before

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Oct 3, 2020 | Reo

“I would seek out kaumātua who were knowledgeable about the Māori world. I’d sit and listen to their words, try and remember them, and write them down afterwards.” — Tainui Stephens.

Asking the right questions

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Aug 29, 2020 | Reo

“My journey to speak Māori became an act of reclaiming my identity. I had to know who I really was, before I could speak Māori fully.” — Tainui Stephens.

Finding your voice through the reo

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Aug 2, 2020 | Reo

“The hardest part about learning Māori, is learning how to think Māori.” — Tainui Stephens.

My pepeha is my world

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Jul 4, 2020 | Reo

“I knew of relations in Auckland, but not of any tribe. All that the old man had told us was he was from ‘up north’. Oh good, that narrows it down then!” — Tainui Stephens.

Oh Canada!

Posted by Tainui Stephens | May 3, 2020 | Reflections

“Canadians are inclined to point to racism as something that exists in the USA. ‘We are not the USA!’” — Tainui Stephens.

What will our rangatahi inherit?

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Apr 5, 2020 | Reflections

“If I was a teenager today, I’d be anxious about the world I’m about to inherit. A job, a home, a family, clean air, and fresh water are well on their way to becoming luxuries.” — Tainui Stephens.

Farewelling Tallulah

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Mar 22, 2020 | Reflections

“I’m sad to see our Little Miss slide listlessly into a final acceptance that her magnificent animal frame is on its last legs. She writes the last page of that Ngāruawāhia chapter of my life.” — Tainui Stephens farewells a dear friend.

Whina Cooper: Fearless and unforgettable

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Feb 23, 2020 | History, Reflections

“For several decades, Whina’s astute brand of leadership had been shaped by the traditions of her elders and powered by her own mighty self-confidence.”

‘Tell The Dead I’m Coming!’

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Jan 26, 2020 | Reflections

“It’s a mix of carnage and self-mockery.” — Producer Tainui Stephens on The Dead Lands, a Māori take on a television genre that relies on “dollops of action and a lot of splatter”.

The Boss Is Dead: A tribute to Hiwi Tauroa

Posted by Tainui Stephens | Feb 3, 2019 | History, Reflections

“Hiwi was perfect to be a Conciliator. He was not an angry man. He was a naturally diplomatic kind of guy, yet had the capacity to set his jaw, dig his heels in, and rark his voice up a bit.”