Celebrating 40 years of Te Māori
Ngā Taonga presents a collection of audio and moving image taonga to celebrate the 40th anniversary since the first opening of the revered Te Māori exhibition in 1984.
“He toi whakairo, he mana tangata.”
“Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity”.
This year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Te Māori exhibition. The idea of a Māori art exhibition was first proposed by the American Federation of Arts and Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in 1973. For various reasons, the project was deferred and was eventually picked up again in 1979. The exhibition required years of planning between various groups and stakeholders including iwi Māori, New Zealand Government and Museums and the seeking of sponsorship. Taonga for the exhibition was loaned from thirteen museums from across Aotearoa. One of the taonga was loaned from Pennsylvania State University Museum. A total of 174 taonga were displayed in the exhibition.
Continue scrolling to enjoy a selection of audio and moving images as we look back at 40 years since the first opening of Te Māori.
Te Māori: A celebration of the people and their art
The following footage from the Archives New Zealand Collection celebrates Te Māori exhibition. Presenter Don Selwyn discusses the history of the Māori people and the sacred elements of traditional Māori carving and design.
Waikato tohunga, Hēnare Tūwhāngai explains some of the rituals and customary practices performed at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) when the taonga first arrived in the USA.
Don explains the mammoth task to prepare the taonga to be displayed overseas. Organisers, officials and Māori leaders spent over eight years negotiating, planning, and preparing the taonga for the touring exhibition.
Collection Reference: TZP74879. Year: 1985. Credit: Courtesy of Archives New Zealand. Hēnare Tūwhāngai, Kara Puketapu, Koro Wetere, Sonny Waru, Tā James Henare.
Te Karere: Mauri stones – Ngāi Tahu
This news item from Te Karere 1986, profiles three ‘kōhatu mauri’ gifted by the Ngāi Tahu people for the exhibition.
The stones, sourced from the Arahura river on the West Coast of the South Island, were each bestowed with a name. Te Waipounamu was gifted to the Met for the exhibition opening. Aotearoa was presented to the Chicago Field Museum for the closing of the USA tour. The third stone Te Māori remained home, on New Zealand shores.
Collection Reference: TZP10905. Year: 1986. Credit: TVNZ. Tipene O’Regan, Hēnare Tūwhāngai, Sir Hirini Moko Mead.
Te Māori was exhibited at four major American Museums from 1984 through to 1986 during its United States of America tour.
Te Māori returned home to Aotearoa New Zealand after its successful USA tour and was renamed Te Māori – The Return Home.
A spectacular televised concert, sponsored by Mobil was held at the Auckland Town Hall to celebrate the success of Te Māori.
Te Māori – an exhibition that encouraged a cultural renaissance and pride amongst the Māori nation.
Hero image: Te Māori exhibition opening procession. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 10 September 1984. Collection Reference: TZP8386. Year: 1984. Credit: TVNZ, Sonny Waru.