AWMM’s Nigel Borell on Maori Court
The Maori Court at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira is set for a major refurbishment.
Gideon Porter, Lashings of iwi for waka restoration, Waatea News, 13 February 2023
The Maori Court at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira is set for a major refurbishment.
Maori curator Nigel Borell says the project is one of the reasons he came back to the museum, and it could take up to five years to complete.
Also on the agenda is the relashing of Te Toki a Tapiri, the waka taua that dominates the space.
He says all five iwi connected with the waka during its working life have been engaged in the project, including preparing the muka bindings that will be used to hold the pieces together.
“What it’s also allowed us is to have a deeper understanding of the stories related to the waka and its importance so those incliude Ngati Matawhaiti from Nuhaka through to Rongowhakaata, Ngati Te Ata from Waiuku, Ngapuhi from the north and Ngati Whatua from here in Tamaki,” Mr Borell says.
The museum is also looking forward to exhibiting in November Te Rā, the only remaining customary Māori sail in the world, which is on loan from the British Museum where it has been held for more than 200 years.