Sailing home to Aotearoa
An exhibition opening today at T¯amaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum presents a truly unique cultural taonga on display for the first time in T¯amaki Makaurau.
Te R¯a, the only known customary M¯aori sail in existence, is on a twostage tour of New Zealand on loan from the British Museum, where it has been mostly in storage for more than 100 years.
Dr Kahutoi Te Kanawa, the Auckland museum’s curator Pou A¯ rahi, M¯aori, was in awe when she first encountered the sail on a research trip to the British Museum in 1997.
“I was there to study some cloaks [and] I just saw the tail end of it, which is the bottom piece, and I wondered what it was,” she said. “In 1998, I was a demonstrator for the M¯aori exhibition [in which Te R¯a was on public display for the first time] . . . a whole lot of questions arose around its significance in terms of navigation and whether it was an ocean sail or just used on the awa [river].”
At nearly four and a half metres long and featuring a complex threeway pattern woven from harakeke, Te R¯a is a testament to the skill of Ma¯ori weaving and serves as a reminder of the rich history of M¯aori sailing and navigation.
At the Auckland exhibition, Te R¯a is accompanied by two sails recreated by Te R¯a Ringa Raup¯a, a group of skilled weavers mentored by weaver, installation artist and researcher Dr Maureen Lander.
The group was formed in 2009 in response to a challenge from Ma¯ori scholar Te Rangih¯ıroa (Sir Peter Buck) who, back in 1922, challenged M¯aori weavers to study, reproduce and revive the unique weaving knowledge found within the sail.
“There’s a lot to learn from Te Ra¯,” Te Kanawa said. “The weaving, the feathers [and] how they’re placed; the loops. Everything that goes with it, all the different indicators of the knowledge system that is imbued in Te R¯a.”
The sail is known to have been made in the late 18th century and marks and signs of wear show it was used before it was collected in Aotearoa and taken to Britain.
“The arrival of Te R¯a to Aotearoa, and now to Ta¯maki Makaurau . . . allows us to connect with a littleknown aspect of M¯aori history,” Auckland Museum chief executive David Reeves said.
“[It] is a timeless taonga that has the potential to inspire new interest in the knowledge and application of M¯aori weaving and sailing. After being away for over 200 years, the exhibition of Te R¯a is a rare and valuable opportunity to experience the beauty and significance of this taonga.”
Bringing Te R¯a home involved many people, including the research group Whakaa rahia ano¯ te r¯a kaihau! Raise up again the billowing sail!, led by Dr Catherine Smith, Dr Donna Campbell and R¯anui Ng¯arimu who, with Joe Harawira, accompanied the sail on its return journey in January this year.
Te Kanawa said Te R¯a was having a taste of home after so many years away. “There’s been a lot of excitement. It’s been a long time coming. Having Te R¯a back in New Zealand, it’s like a dream come true.” Visit Te Ra¯ : Navigating Home at the Museum from today until Sunday, May 26, 2024.