Dr Hinemoa Elder will speak about her new book at an event in Whanganui on September 7.
Dr Hinemoa Elder will speak about her new book at an event in Whanganui on September 7.
Author, speaker, mentor and advocate Dr Hinemoa Elder will give a public talk about her new book Ara: a Māori guidebook of the mind in Whanganui next month.
Ara, Elder’s fifth book following Aroha, Wawata, Waitohu and Dear Moko, explores Māori epistemology.
“It is a description of a quest,of a journey, through the 23 caves of Hinengaro, the Māori goddess of the mind,” she said.
“It’s a uniquely Māori way of thinking about thinking - thinking about how we imagine our minds work.”
The book takes readers through detailed descriptions of each “confronting” cave, which focus on different topics.
“It feels like a pretty ambitious book for me, I tried to make it a very visceral experience, a very sensory experience,” Elder said.
“I’ve been thinking about this journey very carefully over many years, and cautiously exploring it, and thinking how I might bring it to life in the form of a book that’s really accessible for people.”
The knowledge in Ara: a Māori guidebook of the mind was passed to Elder in 2008 from ancient Māori tradition.
“It feels incredibly important for me to pass on what I’ve been fortunate to learn,” she said.
“I know many of us are very fortunate to be given stories from our old people and have this knowledge shared with us but if we don’t pass it on and share it, what good is it?
“I feel incredibly passionate in my quest to ensure that these aspects are not lost and they’re handed on in a safe and appropriate way.”
Artist Jade Townsend created artwork for Dr Hinemoa Elder's latest book Ara.
“When I wrote my book Wawata, [Townsend] organised a group of Māori women artists to meet with me and then they made art inspired by the Wawata book and had an exhibition about that,” Elder said.
“She’s an incredibly special woman, and a very skilled and talented artist, and I feel so incredibly blessed that she has done this beautiful art for the Ara book.”
Ara: a Māori guidebook of the mind will be released on September 2.
Elder will give a free talk at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery on Sunday, September 7, at 4-5pm followed by a Q&A and book signing courtesy of Paige’s Book Gallery.
