Korero Pukapuka, Talking Books: Reading in Reo Māori in the Long Nineteenth Century

<p>The introduction of reading to New Zealand by missionaries in 1815 was a catalyst for enormous change in how Māori communicated and recorded information. Reading was quickly adopted by Māori, who learned in mission schools initially, and increasingly taught each other, both in formal educational contexts and informally in village settings across the country. Missionaries were concerned to promote reading as a means of communicating the Christian gospel, and much of the early material available to Māori readers in reo Māori was ecclesiastical or scriptural works. However, in 1842 the colonial government established the first reo Māori newspaper, the first of around forty titles which were produced over the period 1842-1932 by government, church and philanthropist, and Māori groups. Alongside news, speeches and other items, the niupepa included a wide range of texts that broadened the genres available in reo significantly. Many reports exist of Māori reading and writing in to the niupepa. Māori reading was, however, often carried out in conjunction with traditions of Māori debate and oral communication, which proved to be pragmatic approaches to the reading context of Māori in nineteenth century New Zealand. Government-controlled niupepa in particular used translated texts, both in niupepa and bound separately, as a means of disseminating information on a ‘civilised’ life and urging Māori to take up European behaviours. Other niupepa, however, in particular the Anglican-Māori Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama and Te Toa Takitini and the Kotahitanga niupepa Te Puke ki Hikurangi, promoted reading as a means by which Māori could inform themselves, entertain themselves, and connect with other cultures. Rather than being subsumed by Pākehā culture, these niupepa writers aimed to enrich their lives as Māori by incorporating elements of what they read in the paper. Translated texts, reo Māori versions of originals from other languages, were certainly part of this change, with readers reporting their reflections on the text and its application in their lives. Although responses were varied to reading, with many Māori both reading and lacking interest in reading at the end of the long nineteenth century, a well-developed reading culture in te reo existed in New Zealand, Although reading was not engaged in by the whole population, it was, in many cases, highly respected and a part of daily and official life.</p>

Korero Pukapuka, Talking Books: Reading in Reo Māori in the Long Nineteenth Century

<p>The introduction of reading to New Zealand by missionaries in 1815 was a catalyst for enormous change in how Māori communicated and recorded information. Reading was quickly adopted by Māori, who learned in mission schools initially, and increasingly taught each other, both in formal educational contexts and informally in village settings across the country. Missionaries were concerned to promote reading as a means of communicating the Christian gospel, and much of the early material available to Māori readers in reo Māori was ecclesiastical or scriptural works. However, in 1842 the colonial government established the first reo Māori newspaper, the first of around forty titles which were produced over the period 1842-1932 by government, church and philanthropist, and Māori groups. Alongside news, speeches and other items, the niupepa included a wide range of texts that broadened the genres available in reo significantly. Many reports exist of Māori reading and writing in to the niupepa. Māori reading was, however, often carried out in conjunction with traditions of Māori debate and oral communication, which proved to be pragmatic approaches to the reading context of Māori in nineteenth century New Zealand. Government-controlled niupepa in particular used translated texts, both in niupepa and bound separately, as a means of disseminating information on a ‘civilised’ life and urging Māori to take up European behaviours. Other niupepa, however, in particular the Anglican-Māori Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama and Te Toa Takitini and the Kotahitanga niupepa Te Puke ki Hikurangi, promoted reading as a means by which Māori could inform themselves, entertain themselves, and connect with other cultures. Rather than being subsumed by Pākehā culture, these niupepa writers aimed to enrich their lives as Māori by incorporating elements of what they read in the paper. Translated texts, reo Māori versions of originals from other languages, were certainly part of this change, with readers reporting their reflections on the text and its application in their lives. Although responses were varied to reading, with many Māori both reading and lacking interest in reading at the end of the long nineteenth century, a well-developed reading culture in te reo existed in New Zealand, Although reading was not engaged in by the whole population, it was, in many cases, highly respected and a part of daily and official life.</p>

Turkeys Befriend a Girl: Turkey Husbandry, Ceremonialism, and Tales of Resistance during the Pueblo Revolt Era

From Basketmaker II to Pueblo II (200 BC–AD 1150), turkey husbandry flourished among Ancestral Pueblos inhabiting the northern and southern San Juan areas (300 BC–AD 1250) and the Rio Grande Valley (AD 1250– 1700) due to the ritual-symbolic importance of turkey feathers to rainmaking ideology. As primary caregivers, Ancestral Puebloan women's long-lasting social bond with domesticated turkeys was disrupted by Spanish maize and textile tribute (encomienda) systems and demands on Native labor (repartimiento) of the mid-1600s, a major factor contributing to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Despite the Spanish assault on their culture, Native people clandestinely practiced kachina religion by reusing turkey feather ceremonial objects, seeking refuge in ancestral mesa-top villages, and repurposing Spanish ecclesiastical materials as part of a pan-Pueblo resistance and revitalization movement. This study examines a previously overlooked form of Native resistance to Franciscan conversion efforts—“turkey girl” tales that appropriated and repurposed a Spanish religious folktale. Evidence suggests that these tales were authored by Pueblo Revolt–era war captains who attended Franciscan mission schools around the 1630s. To varying degrees, these “turkey girl” tales express nativist resistance to Franciscan conversion efforts, commitment to revitalization ideology, and pan-Pueblo ethnogenesis.

Reflections on the Drive to Return Mission Schools to their Owners in Nigeria

The issue of whether the government in Nigeria should return the schools taken from the religious organizations over four decades ago is a topic for debate. While many are arguing that such schools should be returned to their owners, others, want the government to stay action on it. It however needs not be over-emphasized that the policy of government control of schools has to a large extent guaranteed equal educational opportunities, quality education provision, increased access to education, religious tolerance, and improved national unity. When viewed from another perspective, can Nigeria afford to take another risk by returning the schools to the Missions, more so that issues of unemployment, high cost of education, religious intolerance, among others, are prevalent in the country, which the return of the schools will promote to a high level? In this paper, the roles which the Christian Missions played in the educational system were examined while the arguments for and against this initiative were examined. It is hopeful that with adequate financing, effective supervision of schools, standards put in place by the government, the agitation of people for the return of schools to the original owners will become history.

The Akan Traditional Leadership Formation: Some Lessons for Christian Leadership Formation

Traditional and Christian leaders in Akan communities in Ghana provide leadership services for the same Akan people. For proper internal harmony and identity devoid of identity crises, the two leadership systems should not only understand each other but must be willing to learn relevant values and lessons from each other. The integration which has already taken place among Akan traditional leaders as they have over the years learnt Christian leadership values and lessons from churches and mission schools is yet to take place properly in Christian leadership formation. This article seeks to analyse the values and lessons in Akan traditional leadership formation and its significance for Christian leadership formation. Observation and interviews of the Akan traditional leadership institution at Akuapim, Akyem and Asante and examination of secondary materials on early interpreters of the interaction between the Akan traditional leadership institution with the Christian faith are used to gather qualitative data. Akan traditional leadership formation pays much attention to matters of royal consciousness, leadership as service, mentoring, the celebration of the Adae festival and oath swearing. Christian leadership formation that seeks to avoid the church being alien on Akan cultural soil will need to pay attention to the indigenous leadership formation when addressing issues on institutional memory, stewardship, women in leadership, leadership as service and accountability in Christian leadership. Keywords: Akan, Christian, Traditional Leadership, Leadership Formation.

Visions and Realities in Hong Kong Anglican Mission Schools, 1849–1941

This article explores the tension between missionary hopes for mass conversion through Christian education and the reality of operating mission schools in one colonial context: Hong Kong. Riding on the wave of British imperial expansion, George Smith, the first bishop of the diocese of Victoria, had a vision for mission schooling in colonial Hong Kong. In 1851, Smith established St Paul's College as an Anglo-Chinese missionary institution to educate, equip and send out Chinese young people who would subsequently participate in mission work before evangelizing the whole of China. However, Smith's vision failed to take institutional form as the college encountered operational difficulties and graduates opted for more lucrative employment instead of church work. Moreover, the colonial government moved from a laissez-faire to a more hands-on approach in supervising schools. The bishops of Victoria were compelled to reshape their schools towards more sustainable institutional forms while making compromises regarding their vision for Christian education.

Missionaries and the Construction of Christian Homes: Examining the Formation of African Social Identities in Colonial Malawi

Christian missions were introduced in Africa to bring commerce and civilization. Nevertheless, the modernizing ambitions of missions and the colonial government had considerable social and moral consequences, which are observable in the construction of a Christian family. This article will show that missionaries created a social revolution by prohibiting polygamy, leading to wives being treated as widows. Besides, the article will show that the construction of femininity and masculinity in mission schools was based on European culture. Eventually, some roles that in traditional society were reserved for men were defined as feminine tasks.

“If You Know Arabic, Indian Songs Are Easy for You”

With the arrival of cinema halls in northern Ghana in the mid-1950s, Indian and Hollywood films circulated among diverse audiences with varying religious, economic, and educational backgrounds. In Ghana, educational approaches to listening differed greatly between Christian and Islamic schools: mission schools promoted English literacy, centered around contextual understanding and moral readings of English text, while Islamic schools taught Qur’anic recitation through aural and oral transmission, with precedence given to the indexical experience of untranslated religious text. This chapter explores how contrasting modes of listening developed in mission and Islamic schools shaped Christian and Muslim experiences of early postcolonial Hollywood and Hindi films, both inside and outside the cinema hall.