Maori Resources in the Alexander Turnbull Library

Turnbull Library Record, Volume XXIII, Issue 1, 1 May 1990, Page 6

Maori Resources in the Alexander Turnbull Library

J. E. TRAUE

The rich documentary resources of Maori life, language, culture and traditional history in the Alexander Turnbull Library are a legacy of the founder’s intention that his library should be ‘the nucleus of a New Zealand national collection’. 1 Soon after Turnbull returned from London, at the age of twentyfour, to take up permanent residence in New Zealand he specified in a letter dated 23 May 1893 written to Dulau & Co., one of his London booksellers, his aims for the New Zealand section of his library. ‘Anything whatever relating to this Colony, on its history, flora, fauna, geology and inhabitants, will be fish for my net, from as early a date as possible until now.’ 2 His net captured printed Maori language items (the bulk of the incomparable collection of Maori language books, pamphlets and newspapers was gathered in Turnbull’s lifetime); manuscripts in Maori and even original drawings by Maori; as well as the voluminous literature in other languages describing the Maori;

European artists’ drawings and paintings of the Maori; and photographs. He also collected Maori artifacts and clothing. An army of dealers in Britain, Europe, the United States and Australia, and fellow-collectors and enthusiasts, friends and acquaintances in New Zealand, worked on Turnbull’s behalf to make his Maori collections as comprehensive as possible. In 1893 he joined the newly-established Polynesian Society. In August 1893 he wrote to the librarian of the Public Library in Cape Town enquiring about the possibility of having copies made of the Maori manuscripts in the Sir George Grey collection, and followed it up in 1894 with a supporting letter from Grey. In 1909 he was still active in attempting to get the collection back to New Zealand, writing to Dr Findlay, the AttorneyGeneral: ‘I am Sinless with regard to coveting Sir George Grey’s splendid series of Maori MSS for my own library but I do break the tenth commandment on behalf of the people of New Zealand’. 3 Captain Gilbert Mair, S. Percy Smith, C. A. Ewen, Augustus Hamilton, Alexander Shand and Elsdon Best were among those active in the field on Turnbull’s behalf. In 1913 Mair wrote: ‘At last I have something in the literary line which I’ll swear you haven’t a duplicate of—Six Sketches by a Maori artist depicting certain stirring incidents arising out of a taua or robbing party visiting Parawera Settlement in connection with a Crim Con Case ... I hope the historic Maori whom Macaulay prophesied as Sketching the ruins of London, will have a better idea of perspective, and also use something more permanent than pencil.’ 4 Elsdon Best was active in building Turnbull’s collection of Maori artifacts and devised an ingenious scheme whereby Turnbull commissioned Tuhoe craftspeople to create works for the collection. 5 Turnbull’s collection of Maori and Pacific artifacts, some 500 items including greenstone adzes and hei tiki, carvings and clothing, was donated anonymously to the Dominion Museum in 1913. 6

The users of the collections in the early years, during Turnbull’s lifetime and beyond, were mainly his friends and associates in the Polynesian Society: Herbert Williams for his work on the Maori dictionary, Elsdon Best for his compilations of information on the traditional Maori way of life (after Turnbull’s death Elsdon Best had a room in the Library on Bowen Street for many years), James Cowan, Johannes Andersen the Chief Librarian and student of Maori language, music and culture, S. Percy Smith, and the other members of the small band of amateur scholars compiling and recording the Maori past in New Zealand. From the 1950 s the study of Maori language and culture began to be professionalised in the universities and a new generation of academically trained researchers became the principal users. Under successive chief librarians the collection grew apace with these trends. Collections added included the papers of John White, Elsdon Best, John Houston, S. Percy Smith, William Colenso, Sir Donald McLean,

Henry Matthew Stowell (Hare Hongi), Sir Walter Buller, A. F. McDonnell; the notebooks of William Leonard Williams; the archives of the Polynesian Society and the Maori Purposes Fund Board. In 1986 a full set of copies of Sir George Grey’s Maori manuscripts, first sought by Alexander Turnbull in August 1893, was obtained from the Auckland Public Library. The originals from Cape Town had been transferred to Auckland in 1922-23. Contemporary material was also sought and records such as the archives of the Maori Women’s Welfare League and papers relating to the Maori Land March of 1975 were added.

This immensely rich documentary resource, in the original or photocopy or photograph or microform, gathered by Turnbull and his librarians to ‘assist future Searchers after the truth’ (Turnbull to Gilbert Mair, 12 July 1912) was conceived of, in terms of the standard philosophy of research libraries and the Western tradition of scholarship, as the raw material, which, subject to close comparison and analysis, would yield its secrets in new written knowledge. The documents were not heavily used, like most materials in research collections, and use was very much concentrated in the hands of scholarly experts who could be expected to devote considerable time to examining and mastering the mass of material and would require only minimal guidance from the staff. Access to the collections was envisaged in terms of the needs of people working in the Western traditions of scholarly research.

In the mid 19705, the Library became conscious of the rapid changes taking place in its constituencies. New groups, such as family historians who were now major users, were emerging and the emphases of some of the well established constituencies were changing. A forecasting exercise was undertaken to attempt to identify areas in which new or greatly increased research demands would emerge. Maori studies was one of those areas identified, together with women’s studies, social history, the history of agriculture and science and technology, and a greatly increased demand for pictorial materials for reproduction. It was clear that a media-based collecting drive similar to the exercises already successfully undertaken for War Archives, Women’s Archives and farm diaries was inappropriate. Maori attitudes to documentation and the transfer of knowledge, and their increasing desire to establish their own tribal archives had led to a reluctance to deposit family and tribal material in public institutions. It was decided that effort ought more properly be directed to developing the Library’s own language and cultural competence to deal sympathetically with Maori material already held, and thus gain the confidence of the Maori community.

Further analysis indicated that there were in fact two trends emerging. There was a growing demand from university-based scholars for copies of Maori manuscript materials already in the Turnbull as a resource for research by staff and students in the universities as the departments

of Maori studies grew and matured and more students moved on to research degrees. As well there was a demand at the iwi level for usable language and traditional history texts for local marae-based learning. Added to these two trends was the likelihood of an increase in demand from students of Maori language at all levels for suitable Maori language texts.

The Library’s response, which took some time to evolve, was to develop an overall strategy to attempt to meet all these needs. To meet the university level demand the proposal was to undertake a microform publishing programme; for the other levels, a programme to publish inexpensive edited versions on paper of significant local tribal manuscript source materials. Although the university departments had clearly expressed a wish for the copying of manuscript materials in the Turnbull as a first priority, because of the problems involved (insufficient staff with the competence to prepare materials and to create the bibliographic controls necessary; the known reluctance of tribal groups to allow uncontrolled dissemination of tribal records) it was decided to concentrate on a microform edition of printed Maori. A proposal was developed, and costed, for the publication of a revised edition of Williams’s Bibliography of Printed Maori and the filming of all the items listed in the bibliography, thus enabling the printed bibliography to be used as the inventory and index to the microform edition. A refinement of this proposal called for the microform edition (intended substantially for university use) to be supplemented by a printout on paper of the items more useful to local tribal groups (omitting multiple editions of Bibles and prayer books etc. which make up over half the volume of print) in a limited edition of some 100 copies for distribution to marae.

The first stage of this project, enhancement of the bibliographic records for the printed Maori collection in the Turnbull is underway at present. Examination of the collection showed that the bibliographic records for many of the items were inadequate and that a backlog of uncatalogued items had built up. The complex task of creating bibliographic records on NZBN has been undertaken appropriately enough by Sheila Williams, granddaughter of Herbert Williams the bibliographer. Further work will have to be done to identify the many variant editions, printers’ proofs, translators’ proofs, authors’ copies marked up for future editions, which make the Turnbull collection such a rich resource for the study of the history of printing in New Zealand. Indeed it may well be difficult to find clean, un-annotated copies of all titles, suitable for microfilming. The microfilm publication programme is however well ahead for the Maori newspapers which have been catalogued, sorted and filmed, a project described by Nicola Frean elsewhere in this issue. To give the Library competence in Maori language and culture two

staff members were enrolled for the Wellington Polytechnic Maori language course in 1977, and in 1979 the position of Maori Manuscripts Subject Specialist was created within the Manuscripts Section. The position was given a long salary scale which would enable the holder to progress, without administrative responsibilities, to a salary level equivalent to a head of section.

Sharon Dell, the first holder of the position, spent from 1979 to 1982 at Victoria University in part-time study taking Maori through to the honours stage, with special emphasis on nineteenth century written Maori. On the completion of her studies the position was redesignated as Maori Materials Subject Specialist, to work in all areas requiring competence in Maori and to provide library-wide advice in all things Maori. Priorities for the position were to prepare Maori language materials in the Manuscripts Section for microform editions to meet the needs of the scholarly community; to prepare Maori manuscripts for publication in an inexpensive form on paper; and to improve access to the collections for those whose interests were in tribal materials by enriching catalogues and indexes with terms likely to be sought by such users. For various reasons among them were the lack of an agreed thesaurus of Maori headings, the demands of the double shift of the Turnbull from 44 The Terrace to Ghuznee Street and then to the National Library Building, and especially the increased demands on the Maori Materials Subject Specialist from tribal groups —only slow progress was made on preparing transcriptions and basic translations of texts ready for publication, and discussing with descendants the form such publication might take. The main emphasis of the work was to expand existing descriptions of Maori language material by creating inventory listings for parts of collections previously unhelpfully described as ‘Maori letters’. In this way listings of Maori material in several major collections were completed: McDonnell, A. S. Atkinson, W. B. D. Mantell, Walter Buller, Williams Family, John White, William Colenso, Donald McLean, Maori Purposes Fund Board.

Increasingly the impact of the establishment of Kohanga Reo, iwi initiatives to research tribal history and retain Te Reo, and the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal began to be felt. A major part of the specialist’s time was spent providing a direct service to people coming into the Library, often for the first time, to use Maori resources. Maori seemed to prefer access through a person rather than a catalogue. When Sharon Dell was appointed Keeper of Collections in 1987 discussion about the changing trends led to the creation of a position Te Kai-tiaki i nga Korero Maori to continue the curatorial role with the collections and to develop appropriate means of access to them. Wharehuia Hemara was appointed to this new position. A commitment was also made to provide funds to establish formal consultative links with Maori communities in the form of an in-house Maori scholar.

While attached to the Library this scholar would work on the material from his or her own tribal area and assist Te Kai-tiaki in describing that material accurately in the catalogues and indexes. At the same time the scholar would provide the liaison with his or her iwi to arrange for the best means of providing access to the material in the tribal area. This position is likely to be filled in 1991. The proposals first developed in the late 1970 s to produce inexpensive edited texts of tribal manuscripts have not resulted in any publications produced by the Library, but with Turnbull encouragement and support the Maori Studies Department at Victoria University and the Department of Maori at the University of Canterbury have produced three booklets 7 and the periodical Te Panui has published several shorter pieces from manuscripts in the Turnbull.

The Library’s current thinking, which is very much in line with the National Library’s bicultural policy which emphasises negotiations with the Maori communities in a spirit of partnership, is to work with the various Maori groups to enable them to identify materials suitable for publication, to obtain the necessary permissions, to decide on suitable formats, appropriate editors, and the means of dissemination. The Library’s role is very much that of making its resources known to the local Maori groups, and of initiating discussion and facilitating local initiatives.

Several themes have emerged from this brief historical account. The Library’s response in the past fifteen years to what it perceived as changes in the constituencies served by its Maori collections has two major and inter-related themes: that of publication beyond the Library and that of creating new ways of giving access to non-academic users with a tribal orientation and strong traditions of oral communication. Publication of the Library’s Maori resources in print or microform is congruent with the overall policy of the Library to turn materials for which there are increasing user demands and growing conservation problems into copies which can be distributed to other institutions, either as published editions for sale or as copies available on demand. Similar programmes have been developed for newspapers and are proposed for the national monographic imprint, for photographs, for drawings and prints, for selected New Zealand serial publications, and for selected subject areas within the manuscripts collection. For the Maori language materials there are some special elements which have been outlined above.

The access theme has generated debate within the Library which is likely to continue for some time. What is the best means of making the Turnbull’s Maori resources accessible to those who need them? Can a research library, a distinctive creation of the written and printed culture of the Western people, be modified to accomodate equally the needs of the traditional research user and those of Maori tribal groups?

Or should we try to create some new kind of hybrid for New Zealand? Or provide parallel services, each designed to meet the special needs of its users, with a common stock? Or create a new kind of institution (or institutions) specifically designed to meet the needs of Maori tribal communities? The debate will continue; the question will remain constant. What is the best means of making the Maori resources held by the Turnbull on trust for the Maori people and the scholarly community accessible to those who need them?

REFERENCES 1 Second Codicil to Will of Alexander Horsburgh Turnbull. Quoted by Eric McCormick in Alexander Turnbull; His Life, His Circle, His Collections (Wellington, 1974), p. 286. 2 McCormick, p. 122. 3 McCormick, p. 207. 4 McCormick, pp. 239-40. 5 McCormick, p. 182. 6 McCormick, p. 254. 7 Ko ngaa tuhituhi a Te Kaahui Kararehe o Taranaki ki a Te Mete 1893-1906, he mea whakaemi naa Ruka Broughton (1984); Nga Taonga Tuku Iho a Ngati Awa o Te Awa-a-te-atua, o Rangitaiki, o Whakatane: ko nga Tuhituhinga a Hamiora Tumutara te Tihi-o-te-Whenua Pio, etita: Hirini Moko Mead (1981); Two Maori Stories from Marlborough, recorded by Tuiti Makitanara, edited and translated by Melodie Watson and Margaret Orbell (1983).