Sir Timoti Karetu and Dr Wharehuia Milroy are widely recognised as two of New Zealand's leading teachers and scholars of Maori language and culture. They both taught at The University of Waikato from the 1970s and pursued an innovative approach by teaching language courses in te reo Maori, with tikanga courses taught in Maori and English. Te Wharehuia and Timoti were pioneers in this area, forging a model for teaching Maori which is now followed by many other tertiary institutions.

This is a book of chapters on key aspects of Maori language and culture authored by two of this country's pre-eminent kaumatua. The authors discuss key cultural concepts (including mana, tapu, wairua, whakapapa, ritual, farewell speeches and Maori humour) as well as language and cultural issues of the modern world. The language used is an exemplar for learners and speakers of te reo Maori. With assistance from a team at Te Ipukarea, the National Maori Language Institute, who transcribed and edited structured conversations between these two kaumatua, this book preserves the voices and ideas of these two renowned scholars for present and future generations.