Authors

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After an extensive career in Asia, Dr Alistair Watts returned to his native New Zealand to study and write about his home country from an outsider's perspective. Using comprehensive archival and newspaper sources, he has re-investigated the origins of the New Zealand nation state from a fresh perspective that moves beyond the traditional bicultural view prevalent in the current New Zealand historiography. Dr Watts holds a PhD in history and qualifications in agricultural science and business. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

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David Weaver was born in India in 1930; his mother was a New Zealand Truby King (Karitane) nurse, his father a British army officer in the Indian Army. Weaver moved to New Zealand with his young family in 1976 and retired from commerce in 1995. As a retirement activity, he enrolled part-time at Victoria University in 2000, attaining a double BA degree in Classics and Asian studies, followed by a Masters degree in Asian Studies. He has had two research papers published by the Indian Anthropologist in New Delhi and one review paper published by SITES, a New Zealand anthropology and cultural studies journal. The Fallibility of Religion is his first book.

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Melinda Webber (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whakaue) is a professor and Te Tumu/Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Waipapa Taumata Rau/the University of Auckland. She is a former Fulbright/Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga scholar. In 2016, she was awarded a Marsden Fast-Start grant to undertake a research project examining the distinctive identity traits of Te Tai Tokerau tūpuna (leading to this book), and in 2017 she was awarded a prestigious Rutherford Discovery Fellowship to tackle an important question facing educators – ‘How can we foster cultural pride and academic aspiration among Māori students?’. Melinda Webber was the 2017 Director for Phase Three of The Starpath Project and is currently the University of Auckland co-director for the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity programme. She also spent six years as a co-principal investigator on the Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga-funded project ‘Ka Awatea’ which examined the nature of teaching, learning, and home socialisation patterns that support Māori student success in education. Melinda’s research focuses on better understanding the effects of Māori student motivation and academic engagement, culturally sustaining teaching, localised curricula, and enduring school–family–community partnerships for learning. Te Kapua O’Connor (Ngāti Kurī, Pohūtiare) is a doctoral student at Te Wānanga o Waipapa: School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies at Waipapa Taumata Rau/the University of Auckland. Between 2017 and 2020 Te Kapua worked as a researcher on the Marsden Fast-Start-funded project led by Professor Melinda Webber. The project examined the distinctive identity traits of Te Tai Tokerau tūpuna and led to this book. In 2020, Te Kapua secured a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship to commence his PhD. He was also awarded the 2021 Tā Hemi Henare Scholarship from the Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board to further support him in his doctoral studies. Te Kapua is studying the tikanga of ahikā, striving to broaden, add nuance, and challenge some of what we know about the celebrated tikanga.

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Nicky Webber, is an Award-Winning Author of Contemporary and Historical Fiction She enjoyed international acclaim for her novel Duplicity, which received Honourable Mention and Runner-up in Romance and Drama in the USA 2022 Top Shelf Magazine Awards for Fiction. With her background in journalism, Nicky is a master at crafting suspenseful and emotionally-rich stories, filled with family intrigue and romance. “I love true stories and pick over the bones of real-life tales before recreating the rich narrative found in my books.” Join Nicky’s mailing list at nickywebber.com/news/