Celebrating 40 Years of Te Māori
This year Te Ao Māori celebrated the 40th anniversary of the opening of the exhibition Te Māori.
Te Māori was a groundbreaking international display of Māori art that debuted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1984. It was the first time Māori taonga (treasures) were exhibited in such a prestigious international context, with the exhibition later traveling to other United States cities and then back to Aotearoa. The significance of this exhibition lay not only in the global recognition of Māori art but also in the way it reaffirmed the importance of tikanga Māori and the role of iwi in cultural guardianship.
Ngāti Awa revered kaumātua, Tā Hirini Moko Mead, played a critical role in the success of the Te Māori exhibition, particularly through his leadership and advocacy for tikanga Māori to be central to the process. Koro Hirini ensured that the exhibition was not just about showcasing art but also about upholding Māori cultural values, including:
· Mana Taonga: Koro Hirini emphasized that the taonga displayed were not merely artifacts but were imbued with the spirit and history of their people.
· Kaitiakitanga: He advocated for the involvement of iwi and hapū in the care, transport, and display of these taonga, highlighting the role of Māori as the custodians of their heritage.
· Tikanga: He ensured that proper Māori rituals, such as karakia and pōhiri, were observed during the exhibition’s opening and throughout its tour, reflecting the deep spiritual connection between the taonga and their people.
Through Koro Hirini’s leadership and involvement in Te Māori, the exhibition had a lasting and profound impact on Ngāti Awa. His work in advocating for Māori cultural values, particularly in the context of taonga and tikanga, empowered not just Ngāti Awa but also all Māori to reclaim their heritage and identity. Through the Te Māori exhibition, Mead helped Ngāti Awa strengthen their role as cultural guardians, and his efforts continue to influence the iwi’s cultural and economic development.
The work of Koro Hirini, especially the international attention garnered by the Te Māori exhibition, helped lay the foundation for further development within Ngāti Awa. The cultural strength of Ngāti Awa was bolstered, which later influenced our successful Treaty of Waitangi claim and settlement in the early 2005.
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