Toku Papa

More about the book

Tōku Pāpā is a book that serves as a map of survival for Māori growing up outside of their papa kāika. These poems look at how we take the knowledge we are given by our ancestors and hide it beneath our tongues for safekeeping. They show us how we live with our tūpuna, without ever fully understanding them. This book encompasses a journey spanning generations, teaching us how to keep the home fires burning within ourselves when we have forgotten where our homes see. But have our homes forgotten us?