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Home NZ Identity & Heritage Protected objects He hononga tangata, he hononga tīpuna

He hononga tangata, he hononga tīpuna

Conservation of taonga tūturu video series – summary

The video series He hononga taonga, he hononga tīpuna offers insight into the holistic care of taonga tūturu and the experiences of those involved. The series will be of interest to iwi, hapū, marae, hapori whānui and conservation specialists. It explores topics such as:

  • cultural considerations around relocation
  • regional histories
  • taonga tuku iho education
  • standard museum practice methods
  • the complexities and opportunities that arise in preserving taonga tūturu. 

Subtitles are available in te reo Māori or te reo Pākehā. Head to the settings menu on the video to switch between languages.

Video 1 – relocating taonga

He hononga Tiriti – E mihi ana ki ngā rangatira o Te Āti Awa, Muaūpoko, Rangitāne, Ngāti Wai o Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa me Ngāti Toa i arahi i ngā āhuatanga hei whakatau i te Awakairangi Waka.

In 2006, the 650 kilogram Awakairangi Waka was discovered in Te Awakairangi riverbed during a water pumping station project in Lower Hutt. After the completion of its conservation treatment in central Wellington, six lower North Island iwi led the return of the centuries-old waka hull to Te Awakairangi ki Tai.

This video records the morning of the relocation in March 2022.

Video 2 – whenua histories

He hononga tangata – he hononga tēnei taonga ki ngā tīpuna, ki ngā āhuatanga o ngā wā o mua, mā tātou anō hei kai.

Kaumātua Kura Moeahu (Te Āti Awa), tohunga whakairo Warren Warbrick (Rangitāne) and kaitiaki taonga Shane James (Muaūpoko) explain in the video that before colonisation, the Awakairangi River was a central part of a vibrant Māori eco and social system where many waka traversed its water. This video shows what taonga tūturu such as the Awakairangi Waka can tell us about the past.

Video 3 – rohe based conservation

He hononga Tiriti – Ka mahi ngātahi a Te Manatū Taonga ki te taha o te iwi me te hapū hei manaaki hei tiaki i ngā taonga tuku iho.

When taonga such as the Anaweka Waka (2011) and the Taranaki taonga assemblage (2020) are found, iwi may wish for them to undergo ongoing ‘museum standard’ conservation treatment. This involves careful collaboration between iwi and conservators. 

This video features Chris Hill (Manawhenua ki Mohua) in Golden Bay, as well as Rae Hinerau-Wetere (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tama) and conservator Susanne Rawson in Taranaki, discussing how they conserve taonga in the rohe where they were found.

Updated on 23rd June 2023