One of the most powerful ways of preserving Maori tradition is with a tape recorder. The ol dcustom of passing knowledge on from generation to generation by word of mouth still exists. but yet many songs and other wisdom is lost from year to year as the older people pass on. Sir Apirana Ngata was the first to collect such knowledge on a big scale and to preserve the words and music of the old waiata, he used the tape recorder. His son William Turupa Ngata has taken up this work some years ago, supported by the Maori Purposes Fund Board. He records the songs printed in Nga Moteatea, so that the music as well as the words will remain to posterity and in addition he records the wisdom of the old people, such as the material from … … Rapana of Te Tii, printed on these pages. Te Ao Hou will be presenting texts from these recordings in future issues. The scene above shows Mr Ngata recording at Turangawaewae, Ngaruawahia. (John Ashton, Photograph) Tapore taku wairua ki roto ki kiri maurirere, ki te manu tawe o Rehua tau toru, Ka hona ki te Ao Pipiri Ka whakairia ki runga o taku tuara. Kua huri tena wahi, kua hapaingia te tupapaku, kaore he korero. Na haere atu ana. Na i mea kea au i tenei waiata, e kei te mahia tenei waiata hei waiata tiki tupapaku, engari ko te tino whakamaramatanga o tenei waiata tona tikanga, he waiata huahua kuku. Tenei kainga ko Hurakia koia tera te wahi o tenei mea o te kukupa. Ka whakairia ki runga Hurakia koia na, na ka koukou ki roto i taua whenua, me he manu. A no reira au i hiahia i tenei waiata, kia whakatikaina kia whakakore a ranei, i te mea tenei waiata, he waiata tiki huahua. He mea nui hoki tera ki mua, tata rite atu ano tera momo mea i mua he tangata. Te ngakau whaki i tera mea. A koia tenei ko te waiata. No reira kati ake taku whakamarama i tenei waiata kua oti nei te waiata ake.