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The Founder of the MOKOMOKAI EDUCATION TRUST Maui Woodbine Pomare was prior to his death the Chairman of the National Museum of New Zealand. He was the pioneer of REPATRIATION of Maori Human Remains. His passion were the MOKOMOKAI, however all KO IWI TANGATA were important in his work. Along with Walter Waipara, Pomare is responsible for the extensive data base,photographing and scientific research gathering of the current Te Papa MOKOMOKAI collection. While researching for my film I was privy to many a unofficial sojourn into the bowels of the old National Museum marvelling at the beauty and wonder of the MOKOMOKAI. Prior to my trip to the AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY in New York, I also visited and had karakia with the MOKOMOKAI held at the Auckland Museum.
Maui used to sing songs and talk to the MOKOMOKAI whenever he handled them. I witnessed this many times and after learning from him many things I have adopted his same practices whenever I visit the collections in Museums around the world. Maui preferred to call the MOKOMOKAI "TOI MOKO" and he was personally responsible for over 35 MOKOMOKAI being returned to New Zealand.These are all in a specially consecrated URUPA (Crypt) in the Bowels of TE PAPA the National Museum of New Zealand in The countrys capital city WELLINGTON. http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/ The Mokomokai Unit at Te Papa Tongarewa in my opinion are understaffed and underesourced. Every successive NZ Government to this day has never considered their work a priority and they continue to work under what I consider very stressful working conditions. I could not believe the Technology at the Institutions in the USA and England I visited. The Government has to commit Money to this very important work. Much more money is needed for their research and also a budget should be allocated so that the unit is able to Travel collecting data and negotiating with Museums world wide. We see our function as a facilitation . and our role is to commence dialogue with Institutions especially Government Institutions worldwide. Then we try to initiate a rapport with each facility and our Nationally recognised Museum Te Papa. The saddest Repatriation for us has been the rare Pakeha MOKOMOKAI which was buried up the Whanganui . The conditions of burial was that the Head was to be immersed in a grave of solid concrete.. Provenance of the Head was the Whanganui river and the man received his Moko after trading with the Maori populace travelling up as far as Taupo.Circa 1830 it had been kept by family and thanks to Rich our Australian coordinator we were able to Repatriate the head from Launceston. Like Horatio Gordan Robley the man was quite a colourful character and was one of the first White people to adorn a total MOKO. He also was a trafficker in Mokomokai. I was able to see the head which was in a poor condition and part of the lower mandible was missing plus several teeth. But it most definitely was a white man. The skin was beautiful to touch, however it was full of borer. Hair colour light brown with patches of white. It took us 8 yrs to get this rarity returned. In the initial discussions lawyers for the family said they would allow it to be returned and be examined by forensic scientists. I convinced the family that it should be given to Te Papa in the interim to at least conduct research. The grandmother of the family from the Whanganui river passed away and her children then wanted money. Photographs were taken and these are at their New Zealand Lawyers. They want money for those and if you have half a Million theory yours. All enquires to our Trust. Another Repatriation our whanau were involved in was also the results of an Estate. A pakeha family had for 3 generations held the skull of a Ngarauru woman at their home in Maxwell. She had her own cushion and was on display permanently at their home. Visitors were ushered into the room to pay their respects to this Tupuna. Thank god the grandparents passed on and their children are more morally aware. They contacted our iwi and we buried our ancestors head at Tutahi Church Cemetery Nukumaru where I will be buried in Ngarauru. This only happened last year. Several Repatriation's to Iwi have happened the Auckland Museum have returned Koiwi for burial, including the noted Tainui chief Tupahau and recently 2 Mokomokai to Ngapuhi. Last year Te Papa held 2 hui with Iwi in conjunction with TE PUNI KOKIRI to discuss the MOKOMOKAI issue. I was not privy to an invite and submissions were made by delegates. A wide spectrum of Maori were involved in the Hui including Ta Moko experts, carvers and researchers and Kaumatua. Also present at the Hui was HORATIO GORDAN ROBLEY Biographer TIM WALKER Another Hui took place with Kaumatua present and I believe data was culled to help TE PAPA and TPK formulate policy and submit these proposals to the new Labour Government in the year 2000. The TAONGA MAORI bill has been before the Maori select committee for several readings and now that we have a new Labour government the new heirachy need to be familiarised with its contents. Tenei te Mih Ki Nga Kaimahi o TE PAPA me TPK hoki. Kia kaha. IMPORTANT PEOPLE AT THE MOKOMOKAI, TOI MOKO UNIT TE PAPA Cheryl Sotheran Director Cliff Whiting Jim Te Puni (acting Kaihautu) Walter Waipara Hema Temara NA MAUI DALVANIUS PRIME DIRECTOR MOKOMOKAI EDUCATION TRUST |