New digital novel tells Nukutawhiti story

We want to ensure we have Nga¯puhi-specific resources for our rangatahi in schools. Marae Tech producer Tema Kwan

A digital novel illustrating famed Nga¯puhi ancestor Nukutawhiti’s voyage to Aotearoa has been launched online at a special ceremony at Te Wa¯, in Kaikohe.

Te Taunahatanga o te Puna I te Ao Marama, designed to offer taitamariki a new way of engaging with Nga¯puhispecific content, was put together by a collective of Nga¯puhi creatives, developers and artists.

“We chose the Nukutawhiti story because we were looking for an overall whare pukapuka, and thought this story would be a great place to start,” Marae Tech producer Tema Kwan said.

“Because it came from rangahau that had been published by Dr Melinda Webber and Kapua O’Connor, both of Nga¯puhi descent, it gave us the confidence to stand in the mana of the story.”

A first of its kind, the novel was created from archival research undertaken by Webber, O’Connor, and a full team of Nga¯puhi-connected talent, with illustrations by local students, ta¯onga pu¯oro soundscapes and interactive avatars, in comic style, with the aim of reaching readers in both te reo Ma¯ori and English.

The project was undertaken in collaboration with Te Ru¯nanga a¯ Iwi o¯ Nga¯puhi, with financial support from the Ministry of Education’s Toikuranui Investment Fund.

“We want to ensure we have Nga¯puhi-specific resources for our rangatahi in schools; it’s not just a story about Nukutawhiti but the whole team that created it comes from Nga¯puhi, and we want our children to grow up in an education system that has content specifically for them,” Kwan added.

A team of 16 worked on the project, engaging rangatahi from Kaikohe Intermediate to co-design the art and flavour of the book, Nikora Ngaropo creating graphics and Quinton Hita translating te reo.

“This is the first time this kind of technology has been created, and there’s no other pu¯ra¯kau that has been told in this manner that has an avatar that makes its way across three scenes and tells a story of navigation,” Kwan said.

The launch of the digital novel was attended by Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis and Northland MP Willow-Jean Prime, along with representatives from the ru¯nanga.

The resource is available, free, at nukutawhiti.co.nz