Te Papa to welcome largest-ever repatriation of Moriori ancestral remains

Tuesday, 5 July 2022

Hokotehi Moriori Trust chairman Maui Solomon covers some ancestral remains with a cloak depicting a Moriori design at London's Natural History Museum.

Wellington’s Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is set to receive the largest-ever repatriation of Moriori ancestral remains belonging to a single tribe in a special reconciliation ceremony, or hokomaurahiri, on Friday.

London’s Natural History Museum is returning 111 Kōimi T’chakat Moriori (Moriori skeletal remains) and two Māori ancestral remains, marking the culmination of 15 years of research and negotiation work.

The remains including skulls, jawbones and a few complete skeletons, were taken from Rēkohu (Chatham Islands) for collection, trade and research. The earliest collection dates from 1868 and the last set of Moriori ancestral remains arrived at the Natural History Museum London in 1930.

The repatriation included almost 200 karāpuna (Moriori ancestral remains) from Otago University, and Tūhura Otago Museum, Canterbury Museum, Whanganui Regional Museum and Auckland War Memorial Museum.

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Te Papa kaihautū/Maori co-leader Dr Arapata Hakiwai is calling the repatriation of the Moriori ancestral remains “momentous”. (File photo)

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Te Papa’s Kaihautū/Māori co-leader Dr Arapata Hakiwai said in a statement that he appreciated the effort and commitment of the London museum and New Zealand institutions in helping to bring these karāpuna home. Their return also coincided with a refreshed Moriori display as part of the national museum’s Mana Whenua exhibition.

“We hope this momentous repatriation encourages other institutions around the world to follow suit,” Hakiwai said.

Moriori are the waina pono (the original inhabitants) of Rēkohu/Chatham Islands, with Hokotehi Moriori Trust chairman Maui Solomon commending the Natural History Museum for its “respect” of the Moriori culture, and its willingness to right past wrongdoings.

The trust which represents the Moriori people has been working alongside Karanga Aotearoa, the Government-mandated authority that negotiates the repatriation of Māori and Moriori has overseen the return of more than 400 Moriori remains since its inception in 2004.

The National History Museum held a formal handover ceremony in London last week, which was attended by the New Zealand High Commissioner H.E. Bede Corry, and representatives from Te Papa and Hokotehi Moriori Trust.

The London museum’s director Dr Doug Gurr described the repatriation was an important moment for the institution.

“Respect and responsibility towards the remains of the deceased are important for us all, and we understand the importance of the return of the ancestors to the care of their communities as part of a process of healing and reconciliation,” Gurr said.