Guardian of the Dead (49 page)

Ng
i Tahu:
(Also
Kai Tahu
.) The principal South Island iwi.

P
keh
:
Usually refers to New Zealanders of predominantly white European ancestry. Also sometimes used to refer to non-M
ori of any ethnicity.

Taiaha:
A long club, about five feet long, with a blunt clubbing end and a pointed stabbing end.

Taonga:
A treasured thing, tangible or intangible, culturally or personally significant. The M
ori language is a taonga, for example, as are pieces of land, or physical heirlooms like dogskin cloaks.

Tapu:
The concept of
tapu
applies to especially sacred and protected things, places, knowledge, or people. Tapu means a restriction has been placed and this can be permanent or temporary. Breaking tapu (often by touching or approaching) can carry serious spiritual consequences. Today tapu is most often observed in circumstances of sickness, death, and burial, and areas of land or people can become restricted as a consequence, keeping others safe from harm.

Tupuna:
(Also
tipuna.
) Ancestors.

Wh
nau:
Family, including extended family. Several wh
nau often make up hapu, which make up iwi.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I AM INDEBTED to many, many people, not all of whom I can mention, but all of whom I remember.

First, I owe a great deal to the storytellers who made and handed down the myths I make use of in this story. I was fortunate to have Lauana Thomas, Olive Roundhill, and Dr Jane McRae lend their cultural expertise and advice on various portions of the manuscript; any remaining errors are mine.

My thanks to Holly Black, Libba Bray, Delia Sherman, Dawn Metcalf, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Stephanie Burgis for encouragement and inspiration, and to the Tenners for sharing those debut author jitters with so much style and fun.

I'm grateful for my first readers: Tui, Jeff, Willow, Carla, Betty, Rachel, Gina, Terry, Jameson, and my mother, Mary. They caught innumerable problems and wielded the clue–stick with enthusiasm. Special thanks to Robyn for always reading, over and over (and over!) again.

I have an amazing editing team, who have made me look so much smarter than I really am: Alvina Ling, Connie Hsu, and Melanie Sanders at Little, Brown, and Eva Mills, Susannah Chambers, and Nicola McCloy at Allen and Unwin. I'm lucky to have my most excellent agent, Barry Goldblatt, and his English counterpart, the wonderful Nancy Miles.

Finally, my thanks to the University of Canterbury and its Drama Society, for five great years and oh so much material.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Healey is a New Zealander living in Australia writing a dissertation on American superhero comics. She likes
World of Warcraft
, movies about cheerleading, and tripartite sentences. This is her first novel.