NZ Wars: History comes alive with new book of taonga

A new book launched by Te Papa is showcasing the history of the New Zealand Wars through 500 taonga from the museum's collection.

The book will be distributed as a resource to schools across the country to support new history curriculum.

About 150 iwi members attended the book launch on 13 March where many got the opportunity to see the objects inside Te Papa's archives first-hand.

Taiaha, swords, flags and paintings of tipuna - tāonga often kept tucked away in Te Papa archives - have been brought back into te ao marama - the world of light - in a new book outlining the role each taonga played in the New Zealand Wars.

The New Zealand Wars were fought across the country for much of the 19th century, as Māori fought the Crown over land and sovereignty.

Te Papa kaihautū Dr Arapata Hakiwai said the book - Te Ata o Tū The Shadow of Tūmatauenga: The New Zealand Wars Collections of Te Papa - brings the stories of taonga hidden away in collections to the surface.

It will ensure the history of the objects - and by extension the wars themselves - will not be forgotten, he said.

"I think that we will be better as a nation if we did more of this, if we worked together and we shared our history in the spirit of unity. Certainly in Māoridom we are coming together in the spirit of kotahitanga, unity."

Co-author Matiu Baker said telling the story through objects made the book much easier to engage with.

He said there were far too many stories from the book to pick a favourite - but the flag that was gifted to the Northland rangatira Pūmuka - who signed Te Tiriti and later perished in the wars - is a particularly tragic one.

"Pūmuka was the sixth signatory to the Treaty of Waitangi and he was one of the most vocal advocates for te Tiriti, and then to find within five years of its signing he was the mātāika (first victim) in the 1845 Northern Wars which I think is an absolute tragedy, all that hope now buried in the despair of those wars and conflicts."

The book takes its name from the Ngāi Tahu tīpuna Hakopa Te Ata-o-Tu, Baker said.

"I was always captivated by his larger than life adventures and his name Te Ata-o-Tumatauenga, when we started this project I thought what a fantastic name that captures the essence of that entire period. Te Ata-o-Tu, the shadow of the war god cast over this nation."

After a pōwhiri, whānau members had the chance to look through the Te Papa archives and see the taonga for themselves.

Many had personal connections to the original owners - there were tears and waiata, but also smiles as they saw pictures of their tupuna. Many of the tamariki posed for photos holding an ornate sword.

Ngāpuhi kaumātua Hone Sadler said he was happy to see history come into the light and that these taonga should not be hidden.

"Inā kore tēnei i puta ka noho tonu ai te mamae ka noho tonu te kuaretanga a te hunga no rātau ēnei mea kua whakahuna ake"

(If these stories were kept hidden that hurt would remain, and the ignorance of the people who hid these objects would also remain.)

Sadler said many of the taonga were stolen or taken and were unable to be returned as their original owners had died.

"He tini ke ngā taonga i riro māminga, i riro tāhae atu, i riro horekau te pai, ka roa ka noho ki roto i ngā whare pēnei pupuri taonga."

(Many taonga were lost through deception, or were stolen, or through other devious means and for a long time they've been held in museums like Te Papa.)

Sadler said whānau have kept the stories of these taonga alive and now they will go out to the whole country.