All Wai Ako Books Bundle

Four Essential Books for Understanding Aotearoa

Four short, accessible books exploring Te Tiriti, our health and government systems, and the refugee experience in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Understanding Te Tiriti, a New Zealand #1 bestseller, is a clear and simple handbook explaining what was agreed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, what happened after 1840, and why it still matters today.

Understanding Hauora explains how Te Tiriti and the health system connect, why Māori health inequities persist, and how tino rangatiratanga offers hope for better outcomes for everyone.

Understanding Kāwanatanga asks who actually has power in Aotearoa and where decisions are made about healthcare, education, housing and the cost of living. In just 32 pages, it explains how laws and government systems shape everyday life, where people can have real influence, and how Te Tiriti limits the power of kāwanatanga.

A Different Kind Of Kiwi is the first book written by a Laos Kiwi refugee recording his family’s escape in his own words. Born in a re-education camp in the Laos jungle, he was only five years old when his parents woke him in the night and told him to run. His vivid memories of escaping Laos and adjusting to a new life in New Zealand make this incredible true story a gripping and deeply personal read. The Oxford University Journal of Refugee Studies has commissioned a review of the book.

Together, these four books make complex histories, laws and systems understandable. They connect the foundations of Te Tiriti with the institutions operating around us today, while also illuminating the experiences of refugees who have made Aotearoa their home.