A national treasure visits home

The British museum holds about 3000 taonga Māori, of which a tiny  handful are on display. In its stores is something that’s the last of its kind on the planet: a woven sail named Te Rā.

Back in the 13th century, Te Rā’s triangular form is what would have appeared on the horizon off Aotearoa’s coast, announcing the arrival of humans to the last major landmass on which our species settled.

Te Rā has only been exhibited once—until now. Earlier this year, the sail touched down in New Zealand on its first visit home in 200 years. It’s on view at Christchurch Art Gallery until October 23, then will travel to Auckland Museum. After that, Te Rā is going back to London.

While on our shores, Te Rā is being closely studied by a group of weavers who are relearning the techniques used to make it—skills that have been lost over the centuries. Keep reading...

The Queen wasn’t supposed to visit Tūrangawaewae. But she did.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, December 30, 1953, New Zealand’s reigning monarch and head of state stepped out of a car into bright sunshine at Ngāruawāhia, the headquarters of the Kīngitanga/Māori King movement.

The young Queen Elizabeth II and her husband shook hands with King Korokī and his daughter Princess Piki, the future Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.

They had three minutes, according to the schedule, before Elizabeth was meant to be back in the car and on to the next stop. They were meant to stay right beside the vehicle. Keep reading...

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