Ko Tahu, Ko Au' by Hana O'Regan is an affirmation of Kai Tahu tribal identity prevailing over forces which, at times, have denied its very existence. The author has woven the stories of eight prominent Kai Tahu interviewed for this book with recent events in national and tribal, history and politics.

These events provide the backdrop to the struggle of a people for the right to determine their identity on their own terms. Ko Tahu, Ko Au explores being Maori from a uniquely southern perspective. Thought-provoking and readable, it is an important contribution to the debate on Maori and indigenous identity issues.

`This is a fresh, thoughtful and well-researched work which will serve as one of the baseline discussions of identity formation in a colonial context.' Irihapeti Ramsden Hana O'Regan is the potiki-the youngest of five children of Sir Tipene and Sandra O'Regan. Hana's interest in the complex issues of identity and belonging stems from the politically charged environment in which she was raised, her experience as a white South Island Maori in a North Island Maori boarding school, a year spent in Thailand as an exchange student, and her work as a leader in Maori language revitalisation in the South Island.

This is the first book from Horomaka Publishing, a South Island-based business set up by Ross Calman and Ariana Tikao (both Kai Tahu) to share the stories of Kai Tahu with the wider world.