The Trajectory of Tangonge

Intern

Rāwinia Wikaira, University of Otago

Supervisor

Nicola Dorothy Puti Railton

Overview

Tangonge was adopted by Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa as its logo and has been prominently displayed throughout Kaitaia and across the rohe.

Carved from tōtara and dated to between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tangonge was discovered in 1920 when Lake Tangonge — located between Kaitaia and Ahipara — was drained. It was sold to the Auckland Museum in 1921 and has since been a central feature in successive Māori gallery displays. In more recent years, the Museum developed a history of active engagement and shared kaitiakitanga with Tangonge’s descendant whānau, including multiple visits home to Te Hiku o Te Ika and international travel to London and Paris for the Oceania exhibition — journeys supported and accompanied by descendant kaitiaki whānau leads.

Descendant whānau hold deep knowledge of this taonga and the associated mātauranga. While the Museum holds basic catalogue information, many records and archival materials remain dispersed across various departmental archives at both Auckland Museum and Te Ahu Museum.

During this internship, the intern researched museum-held records and archives related to Tangonge. The project resulted in a more comprehensive research report for both museums and descendant whānau. This work supported efforts to strengthen the partnership and shared kaitiakitanga between the Museum and whānau, ultimately contributing to iwi-led decision-making regarding their taonga — particularly as Tāmaki Paenga Hira progresses along its Path to 2029 and its commitment to becoming a Te Tiriti-led Museum.