Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Intern

Reese Clarke, Ngaati Maniapoto, University of Waikato

Supervisor

Vasiti Palavi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuia, and Dr Joshua Emmitt, Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira

Overview

This summer internship project researched how Auckland Museum could support Tiaki Taonga through museum practices, using Āta Tiaki Taonga Tuku Iho as an example framework.

Tangonge is a hugely significant taonga, historically referred to as the Kaitaia Lintel or Kaitaia Carving. It is now understood to have been a waharoa (gateway) and is considered the earliest surviving Māori carving in the world — a source of great mana and identity for the iwi of Te Hiku o te Ika.