Remarkable stories of twenty-four inspirational tūpuna of Te Tai Tokerau.

‘E kore e mōnehunehu te pūmahara ki ngā momo rangatira o neherā nā rātou nei i toro te nukuroa o Te Moana Nui a Kiwa me Papa Tū a Nuku. Ko ngā tohu o ō rātou tapuwae i kākahutia ki runga i te mata o te whenua – he taonga, he tapu.
Time will not dim the memory of the special class of rangatira of the past who braved the wide expanse of ocean and land. Their sacred footprints are scattered over the surface of the land, treasured and sacred.’
— Sir James Hēnare

From peacemakers and strategists to explorers and entrepreneurs, the tūpuna of the North are an inspiration to the people of Te Tai Tokerau. This remarkable book by Melinda Webber and Te Kapua O’Connor introduces a new generation to twenty-four of those tūpuna – Nukutawhiti and Hineāmaru, Hongi Hika and Te Ruki Kawiti, and many more. Through whakapapa and kōrero, waiata and pepeha, we learn about their actions, their places, their values, and their aspirations.

Published in both a te reo Māori edition translated by Quinton Hita and an English-language edition, and featuring original cover art by Shane Cotton, A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru is a call to action for Te Tai Tokerau today – a reminder to celebrate the unbroken connection to histories, lands, and esteemed ancestors.