High point for S.I. Maoris—Spiral

Press, 2 November 1985, Page 8

High point for S.I. Maoris—Spiral

By JOAN BEGG The Booker Prize award to Keri Hulme marks a high point for all South Island Maoris, according to Spiral, the women’s collective which first published “The Bone People.” A Spiral Marian Evans, who with Miriama Evans , and Irihapeti Ramsden, received .; the award in London oh Keri Hulme’s behalf, said that the book had a strong Maori component. , Ms Hulme, Miriama Evans and Irihapeti Ramsden were members of Ngai Tahu, the main South Island tribe, she said. “I think it’s very important for South Island Maoris that the first New Zealand book to even make it to the finals was a South Island Ngai Tahu book.” Although the South Island Maori was almost invisible this book confirmed “that we are real.” The book had blended Maori and European culture in a way that would help develop successful bicultur-

alism in New Zealand, said Ms Evans from her London hotel yesterday. Although very happy with the book’s success they were not surprised. : “We felt it was going to win,” she said. Since receiving the award they had been inundated with calls, and interviews from the news media; They still had not had, time, to call their families although they had spoken to Keri Hulme. < *> • ’ r The women are excited at the resources that the successfur sales of the book will create. . - ~, ’ Ms Mariah Evans said that Spiral had several projects, some of them including publishing that they wanted to do but could not because of lack of money. One in particular was to republish a book on the traditions of the South Island Maori, written by Irihapeti Ramsden’s late great-grandfather, Hone Taare Tiako. Only 300 copies of the book were printed, in 1927.