Keri Kaa

Hohi Ngapera Te Moana Keri Kaa CNZM QSO (1942 – 26 August 2020) was a New Zealand writer, educator, and advocate for the Māori language.[1] She was of Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu descent.[2]

Kaa in 2013

Family and education

Kaa was born in 1942 in Rangitukia on New Zealand's East Cape.[2] Her father was the Reverend Tipi Whenua Kaa, from Rangitukia, who was vicar of the Waiapu parish and her mother Hohipene Kaa (formerly Whaanga) was from Wairoa.[3] Kaa was one of 12 children: her siblings include her late brother Hone Kaa, Anglican church leader and child welfare advocate, her late sister Arapera Blank, a writer and poet, and her late brother Wi Kuki Kaa, a well-known actor.[4]

Kaa attended Queen Victoria School for Māori Girls and Auckland Girls' Grammar. She spent a year in America after high school on an American Field Service scholarship and then attended Ardmore Teachers' College where in her second year she became the first woman to be the College President.[3][5] She graduated with her teaching diploma in 1964; in 2013 she completed a Master of Arts through Te Wānanga o Raukawa.[2]

Career

Kaa taught at primary schools in Rangitukia, Wellington and the Hawke's Bay, and secondary schools in the Hutt Valley.[2] For fifteen years she was a lecturer at Wellington Teachers College, where she played a significant part in the founding and running of the college marae, Te Ako Pai.[2] During her time in Wellington Kaa was involved with the Haeata Women's Collective (a group of Māori women artists), the Herstory diary project, and the Waiata Koa collective.[6]

After returning to Rangitukia, Kaa both taught and studied at the Te Wananga o Raukawa campus at Hicks Bay.[2]

In addition to her education work, Kaa was also involved in Māori theatre, film-making and television.[1][7] Her contribution was recognised in 2010 when she was profiled by Māori Television for their series on Māori leaders 'E Tu Kahikitea'.[8] Her contribution was also recognised with two special awards from WIFT (Women in Film and Television) New Zealand.[9]

Kaa was also a strong advocate for the Māori language (te reo Māori). Her children's book Taka Ki Ro Wai, written in the Waiapu dialect of Māori, won the inaugural Māori language category in the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and recognised in the National Design Awards for creative director Martin Page's work.[10] The book was selected by the German Internationale Jugendbibliothek (International Youth Library) in its annual list of 'recently published books considered noteworthy due to their universal theme or their exceptional artistic and literary style'.[11]

Kaa died on 26 August 2020, aged 78.[12]

Awards and recognition

References
  1. "Mana of Maori women in film and TV growing". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  2. Metge, Joan (2015). Tauira: Maori Methods of Learning and Teaching. Auckland: Auckland University Press. ISBN 9781869408220.
  3. "Keri Kaa and Amster Reedy Head Students' Association". Te Ao Hou. 45: 34. December 1963. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  4. "Wi Kuka Kaa – Biography". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  5. Kaa, Keri (December 1965). "Exchange Scholarships to Foster International Friendship". Te Ao Hou. 53: 53. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  6. Evans, Marian (29 February 2016). "Keri Kaa & 'Taka Ki Ro Wai'". Spiral Collectives. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  7. Denby, Mark; Grace-Smith, Briar. "Māori theatre – te whare tapere hōu". Te Ara – The Online Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  8. Evans, Marian (14 October 2010). "Keri Kaa interview with Ngahuia Wade". Wellywood Woman. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  9. "2010 WIFT NZ Award recipients". Women in Film and Television New Zealand. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  10. "Writer and poet Keri Kaa". Radio New Zealand. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  11. Peters, Mark (30 October 2015). "More accolades for Keri Kaa's book". Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  12. "Keri Kaa shared gifts of her tipuna". www.waateanews.com. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  13. "Honouring contributions to Māori arts with 2016 Te Waka Toi Awards". Creative New Zealand. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  14. "Book award for Ngati Porou woman". Radio New Zealand. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  15. "WIFT Mana Wahine award to Keri Kaa". Mana Wairoa. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  16. "New Years Honours 2013". Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  17. "Maori Affairs Minister on New Year's Honours recipients". Scoop.co,nz. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  18. "New Year Honours: Complete awards list". The New Zealand Herald. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 10 April 2016.

Further reading
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