Michael Bennett Archives - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
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Posts Tagged ‘Michael Bennett’

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Books

When I heard that Andrew Crowe was the author of a new book about Polynesian voyaging, I must admit that I was both surprised and intrigued. I am a fan of many of his books about New Zealand plants and birds, and therefore I immediately connected the reference to birds in the title of this book with his previous works. With keen interest I embarked on the journey of reading this well-presented book, drawn in by the image of a modern waka hourua on the cover, and backed up by the fantastic and helpful reference map of the Pacific on the inside sleeve.

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Uncle Charlie
A Man for his People

It is unlikely that you can have a discussion about the Ngāi Tahu Settlement without hearing stories about Charles Crofts (Ngāti Huikai, Ngāi Tūāhuriri), or as most of the iwi know him, Uncle Charlie. As Charlie tells it, it was the “luck of the draw” that he was Kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu at the time of settlement. However, as we speak in the home he shares with his wife Meri, eating mousetraps and sipping on tea, it becomes clear that there was more than just luck at play. Charlie is a man who was always going to do great things.

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