It was a privilege to be guided through Aratoi’s latest major exhibition, Te Marae o Rongotaketake – Redressing our Kahungunu History, by Haami Te Whaiti, Aratoi’s Māori Curator and the concept developer for the exhibition. This is a stunning exhibition, guiding the visitor through the environmental, cultural, historical and political landscape of Ngati Kahungunu with over 200 historical items, including Gottfried Lindauer portraits of Kahungunu rangatira, several intricate carvings in wood, bone, and celluloid, and a 7-metre-long waka.
Te Marae o Rongotaketake adopts the concept of exhibition-as-marae, using the powhiri process to guide the visitor through the museum experience, complete with Karanga, Whaikorero, Te o Ha – the coming together – and a Kaumatua Kitchen as a place of learning and socialising. Te Marae o Rongotaketake runs till 3 September 2017.
Here is a recording of my visit. A slightly shorter version of this interview was originally played on May’s edition of ReCooper8 on Arrow FM 92.7.
ReCooper8 is proudly sponsored by The Greytown Hotel (The Top Pub), the Wairarapa’s oldest (and best!) pub!
