He Whakaputanga: The Declaration of Independence
Have you heard of He Whakaputanga? The Declaration of Independence, no? It was signed on the 28th of October 1835. While the focus is often on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, this book gives insight and context to the conflicts and issues that were facing Māori as they found more and more settlers arriving in Aotearoa and the events that lead to the drawing up and signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This story draws on evidence and reports from the Waitangi Tribunal and is descendant and historian checked.
We are guided through the story by Paki, a kiwi who provides translation of Te Reo and adds in some extra information too. The graphic novel style with word bubbles, short text boxes and bright, black outlined illustrations makes the story very accessible and interesting for young readers.
He Whataputanga is part of a series of books ’The chronicles of Paki – NZ's untold story’, 5 books in each series and series 3 focuses on the Treaty of Waitangi.
This book would be perfect for any young history enthusiasts, a must for every school library and is perfect for the classroom to add further context to Te Tiriti o Waitangi studies.
Title: He Whakaputanga: The Declaration of Independence
Author: Alison Condon and Gina Taggart
Illustrator: Tana Hassounia
Publisher: Big Book Publishing Limited
ISBN: 978-0-9941396-7-2
RRP:$64.90 for the series
Format: Soft cover
Publication: 2021
Ages: 7+
Themes: NZ History
Any advisory warnings? No
Reviewer: Louana McCormack, Librarian, Opaheke School, Auckland
How are you recommending this book? Highly recommended.
Opening sentence: Have you ever heard of ‘He Whakaputanga O Te Rangatiratanga O Nu Tireni’ (The declaration of Independence of New Zealand)?
You can buy this series here