Uprising: Walking the Southern Alps of New Zealand

by Nic Low

This book is about walking as a form of knowing. Armed with Ngāi Tahu’s ancient oral maps and modern satellite atlas, I crossed the Southern Alps more than a dozen times, trying to understand how our forebears saw the land. What did it mean to define your identity by sacred mountains, or actually see them as ancestors, turned to stone?

Raised in the shadow of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, Nic Low grew up on stories of mountain exploration from his family’s European side. Years later, a vision of the alps in a bank of storm clouds sparked his return home, and a decade-long obsession with comprehending how his Māori ancestors knew that same terrain.

Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, the alps, form the backbone of the Ngāi Tahu tribe’s territory: five hundred kilometres of mountains and glaciers, rivers and forests. Far from being virgin wilderness, the area was named and owned long before Europeans arrived and the struggle for control of the land began.

Low talked with tribal leaders, dived into the archives and an astonishing family memoir, and took what he learned for a walk. Part gripping adventure story, part meditation on history and place, Uprising recounts his alpine expeditions to unlock the stories living in the land.

What does it mean to transport pounamu, greenstone, across three hundred kilometres of rivers and ranges for the first time in almost two centuries? How does it feel to climb the sacred peak Aoraki / Mt Cook, then deliberately turn back before the top? And if you ignore traditional omens and try to cross the Main Divide in the dead of winter, should you expect to survive?

Uprising brings a staunchly indigenous perspective to the walking tradition of writers like Robert Macfarlane. It is an invitation to travel one of the world’s most spectacular landscapes in the footsteps of Māori explorers, raiding parties, and gods.

Genres: Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

Published July 2, 2021

About the author

Nic Low is an author and artist of Ngai Tahu and European descent. Born in Christchurch, he now divides his time between Melbourne and a bush retreat near Castlemaine. Nic’s fiction, essays and criticism have appeared in the Big Issue, Monthly, Griffith REVIEW, Lifted Brow, Art Monthly and Australian Book Review, and until recently he ran Asialink’s international writing program. His second book, a literary exploration of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, will be published by Text in 2016.

Reviews

[Text Publishing]

The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Uprising

‘A lyrical exploration of alpine trails, history and memory that brilliantly treads the line between trauma and humour, fact and fiction, and Māori and Pākehā worlds.’
Listener (Best books of 2021)

'Nic Low invites us to experience a Maōri understanding of language, land, and history. The book provides both a comfort read and education.’
Tony Birch, ABR Books of the Year 2021

'[A] great read…Uprising will join the New Zealand canon or blow past it, but whichever, it'll make an impact…[It] treads the line between trauma and humour, fact and speculative fiction, between Pākehā and Māori and between two languages…Let's consign this book to a natural progression into myth. That it cast the same strange light Keri Hulme once saw over “this shining land”. That it was called in by the mountains themselves, who yanked a storyteller out of a land full of dust and flies and set him to work on a story wrought from mist and snow. Because it was time. And that he used, with great skill, English words alongside te reo to measure the reach and fetch of the old land.'
NZ Listener

'A narrative of multiple crossings of Kā Tiritiri-o-te-moana, the South Island's Main Divide, Uprising is a song to the mountains, rivers, glaciers, coasts, skies, weather and more…It is a meditation that intensifies as the book unfolds. And it is deeply personal.'
Kete

'[Nic Low] is a very endearing storyteller and an earnest storyteller as well…It’s such a pleasure to read.'
Loose Reads, 95b FM

'This really is an outstanding book, and one that anyone who likes to wander through the South Island back-country, or who has an interest in the history of that area, needs to read. For many, it will enable the hills to be viewed with a new lens.’
Otago Daily Times

‘Uprising is a revelation…carefully researched, well-written, makes dozens of astute observations…and takes New Zealand mountaineering literature to somewhere new and overdue.’
NZ Alpine Club

'Low delicately meanders across multiple spaces which cannot be mapped in any obvious way, across culture, history, spirituality and colonization…[He] reveals his vulnerability with astounding honesty.’
Timmah Ball, Sydney Review of Books

[Neil Smart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ngai Tahu stories and history of crossings of the Southern Alps. Nic tramps the Maori routes through the Alps and describes them from a Maori and Pakeha perspective. Having tramped most of the routes I found it very poignant.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. A mix of memoir, history, story, and geography it tells the history of Ngāi Tahu crossings of the alps, the stories of ancestors, the current state of the land and much more. The stories of the taking of Ngāi Tahu land should be required reading. Particularly insightful were the observations around the fight for the return of the land over 150 years, and the ongoing effects of that.
As a Pākehā who loves Te Wai Pounamu, this book has really helped me understand the history of the land.
Plus it’s a lot easier to read than a straight history text.

[Tare Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nic is such an amazing storyteller and his ability to weave his own experiences of crossings with our Kāi Tahu pūrākau and experiences made this pukapuka a special read. Would recommend to all but especially to anyone who spends time in the mountains of Te Waipounamu

[Sonya Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool book recounting a year spent navigating the mountains of Te Wai Pounamu to bring to life the traditional knowledge of Ngai Tahu. I enjoyed finding out that a couple of different friends had been Nic's hiking companions along the way.

[Jill Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting read! Nic Low is a great storyteller and the woven use of te reo Maori and stories of Ngai Tahu alongside the telling of his expeditions gave me a great insight into the history of the land. Being a Kiwi myself made it even more fascinating to hear the stories living in this part of the country. Really enjoyed this.

[Alastair Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to read about Ngai Tahu land usage and learn some concepts like ahi ka and mahina Kai. Well written with the walking coming across very freshly and personal feelings and thoughts closely described.

[Beatrice Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply loved. The way so many stories were integrated into one seamless book was wonderful. Cannot wait to reread parts of it as I explore more of Te Waipounamu 🥰

[Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply personal and great read for me- ka nui te aroha mō Kai tahu. Always more to learn about where we come from, and this hit home in many ways.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Such a brilliant weaving a personal story and Ngāi Tahu history with adventuring, exploring, discovering and understanding of the moutains and land of the South Island. One of the rare books I would put in the category of reading a second time.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nic Low does a wonderful job of showing us that "...rather than wilderness. the mountains are full of history..." and the history of Ngāi Tahu in particular. He demonstrates that long before European explorers 'discovered' passes through the Southern Alps, Māori were making use of these same passes to journey between the Eastern plains and the West Coast. I'm in awe of the amount of research and the scale of the expeditions he undertook. The use of 'walking' in the sub-title substantially underestimates the kind of effort involved both by him, his companions and the people whose footsteps he was following. I'll look with new eyes at the mountains next time I visit Te Waipounamu.

[Jill Mccaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book on so many levels. As a hiker I really enjoyed the stories of the authors experiences and adventures crossing the Alps in the types of trips that are far too extreme for me. But the best part of the book and what will stay with me, is the way he has opened my eyes to the stories and histories of these places that our colonial past has nearly erased. He has taken familiar places and made them magical, and changed my view of the landscape completely.
An extraordinary book.
Every New Zealander should read this. If you're a hiker, so much the better.

[Jo | Booklover Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars. In my review of Nic Low’s thought-provoking short story collection Arms Race, and Other Stories (2014) I said: I always admire the precision and control displayed by authors skilled in the short story format, but the stories that most excite me and linger longest in my memory are those that offer readers a new slant on or cleverly exploit a peculiarity of human behaviour. So I knew Low’s talent for exploring the human condition – the good, the bad and the absurd – would translate well into the travel memoir format, and particularly one with such deep-rooted ties to the past.

In Uprising, Low explores the pre and post-colonial history of the Southern Alps of New Zealand at the same time as he explores the terrain, the former at times just as treacherous. Particularly compelling and well-paced are the chapters where he has interspliced his own experience on a particular walk with the known and imagined experiences of historical adventurers (both Maori and European settlers). His evocative descriptions render the Southern Alps’ with a sense of grandeur and otherworldly gravitas that helps bridge the gap between history and fantastical origin stories. Read full review >> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/...

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nic Lowe was born to a European father and a Māori mother in Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. His father instilled a love of the mountains and mountaineering in him and they made many trips to places in the Southern Alps. From his mother he inherited the Māori way of connecting with landscape, through story, history, and genealogy, where Kā Tiritiri-te-moana (the Southern Alps) are seen as the first ancestors of his iwi (tribe) Kāi Tahu.

Due to colonialism and land theft, Māori had been pushed out of the mountains and the idea that they had never or rarely crossed the great Southern Alps had gained a strong foothold.

Nic set out to walk the Southern Alps following routes from Kai Tahu oral histories and legends passed down through generations. With each walk he took his connection to both place and people grew stronger and stronger and he realised that Māori had crossed these ranges many times before the arrival of European explorers who claimed to have been the discoverers of passes which they inevitably named after themselves, thus obliterating Māori history.

This is a book of history, mythology, geology, philosophy, mountaineering, hiking, and personal growth. It is well written and a touching and absorbing read and has the best glossary I've ever read at the back of the book!

[Michelle Summerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uprising really grew on me, it was a slow burn and I read it slowly over a number of months. The way he weaves together walking, story, history, and personal reflection made the writing feel deeply grounded. I enjoyed how the book moved between ancient and present ways of knowing the land, and how each journey on foot unlocked meaning rather than just covering distance.

The maps and photographs added so much to the experience, helping me visualise the routes which, as a Geography teacher I do take students towards, made the landscape feel alive. I also appreciated Low’s honesty about himself, his uncertainties, motivations, and limits, this gave the book a sense of humility and vulnerability. It’s a thoughtful that left me thinking differently about our unjust history, the movement of people, and what it means to truly know a landscape.

[Pip Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savoured this book, currently overseas and it made me miss NZ desperately! The text conjured stunning vistas of the Southern Alps, you really felt like you were partaking in the hikes. I really appreciated the knowledge shared in this book - realised that 700 years of Maori history and culture is barely touched on in school, yet we learn all about Cook and the missionaries etc - this needs to change. This would be a great Xmas gift to 'that' family member that struggles to understand how intergenerational wealth, among many other things were stolen during colonisation of NZ. In fact, it would just be a great gift, period.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading and re-reading a number of stories that use walking as a way of knowing, exploring ideas and known history alongside the travel experiences, and this is a beauty. Nic Low shares his thinking in several crossings of the NZ Southern Alps, using Ngāi Tahu traditional oral maps together with satellite technology, trying to understand how his ancestors saw the land, and relate this to his own life and future.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful book about the authors reconnection with Māori, Māori scholarship, history of colonization and exploitation and all framed around wonderful descriptions of his climbs and hikes in NZ. My partner and I has often commented on how all the passes are named after Pakeha, even though they were shown the ways by Māori guides. It is a very warm book, you learn a lot and thoroughly enjoyable!

[Naomi Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even more in awe of Te Waipounamu, I can’t wait to explore these maunga more in the future. I really enjoyed learning about Ngāi Tahu history, and the amazing work this iwi are doing! The revitalisation efforts after finally getting their land back is incredible. The authors journey is very inspiring and the balance between a mountaineering/adventure book and his whānau’s history/traditions was very well done. 🤝

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful, informative and inspiring memoir/travelogue of Nic Low's multiple crossings of the Southern Alps following the Kāi Tahu pounamu routes. Pieced together though oral and written histories including those of Low's own ancestors and whānau, this is a deeply personal story, yet also one for the entire country.

[T.K. Roxborogh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not into mountain hiking or tramping or anything but have friends and family who are so bought it to give as gifts. Then lock down happened so, I picked up one of the copies, and couldn't put it down. It's a beautifully written book.
Have bought more copies to give to others. A great read.

[Robbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about walking through the alps in the South Island. I could have done without the romantic interest stories & some more detailed maps would have been good, but overall very interesting to learn about the history of our island.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique telling of hiking throughout the South Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand, guided by the stories of the local iwi. It was really interesting to read about a different perspective and a part of the country's history that does not seem widely known

[Michelle Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this down. Loved the humbleness in this book despite the author’s obvious skills. Also was appreciative of the authors deconstruction of colonial views of Maori spirituality and a justifiable jab at old mate Barry Brailsford. Brilliant.

[Wendy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book about a Ngāi Tahu writer who sets out to better understand the connection between his ancestors and the Southern Alps by retracing their steps along various trails. A very readable mix of history, culture, travelogue, and memoir.

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very interesting blend of nature writing, personal reflection, pūrākau, new zealand history, and contemporary society. some very beautiful moments of dialogue.

also one of my relatives is in the book which is pretty cool.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone who lives in the South Island and loves the land and wants to know its history and stories.

[Sam Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful hīkoi through Ka Tiritiri-o-te-Moana through the lens of Ngāi Tahu.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A privilege to read this story of exploring and affirming the authors personal and cultural identities as Ngai Tahu while walking and climbing the land