Te Maori – the exhibition timeline

The pivotal Te Maori exhibition stands as one of New Zealand’s most significant cultural achievements, celebrated both domestically and internationally.

The exhibition opened at the Metropolitan Museum in New York on 10 September 1984. After touring three other American cities, St Louis, San Francisco, and Chicago, the exhibition returned to Aotearoa in June 1986. It was then shown in Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland as Te Maori: Te Hokinga Mai The Return Home.

The exhibition finally closed to the public on 10 September 1987, three years to the day after its opening in the United States.

From work begun in the early 70s, through to the opening of the exhibition in New York in 1984, the exhibition showcasing Māori art in the United States was an outstanding moment for the recognition of Māori culture on a global scale.

The project not only surpassed the expectations of its organisers but also played a crucial role in strengthening Māori cultural identity and fostering greater appreciation of taonga Māori worldwide.

As the introduction to the draft Report to Cabinet(1) states:

“The exhibition will go down in history as a landmark cultural achievement. Its success both in the United States and at home went far beyond the expectations of its planners. This success, however, did not just happen.”

“No plan could have had a more rigorous trial than the opening ceremony at New York. It occurred under the full glare of television lights and witnessed by excited journalists from around the world. Subsequently the event was reported in newspapers, on television, radio and magazines to a degree quite unparalleled for a New Zealand event.”

Timeline

A brief timeline of key events from the idea of a touring exhibition of Māori art drawn from Aotearoa New Zealand collections to the opening in New York:

  • 1973 The American Federation of Arts (AFA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) initiated discussions with the New Zealand Government and New Zealand museums about creating a Māori art exhibition in the U.S. The project gained early support from New Zealand’s then-Prime Minister, Norman Kirk.

  • 1974 Following the death of Prime Minister Kirk and lack of funding, the project was abandoned. However, the Met and AFA continued to push for the exhibition project to be revived.

  • 1979–1981: Meetings between New Zealand and U.S. representatives revived interest in the project. In 1981, the AFA submitted a detailed proposal to the QEII Arts Council, which marked a major step forward.

  • 1981 Cabinet approved in principle the mounting of a major Māori Art Exhibition in the United States of America in 1983/84.

  • 1981 Douglas Newton, chairman of the Department of Primitive Art at the Met arrived in New Zealand and visited 14 Museums to indicate what taonga would be appropriate for inclusion in an exhibit in the United States. He also met with Tangata Whenua around the country to seek their consent to allow the taonga to be included.

  • 1981 The Mobil Oil Corporation announced its intention to contribute $300,000 towards the exhibition.

  • 1981 The project was formally launched at a press event at the Beehive by then-Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon.

  • 1982 Visit by AFA Registrar, Carol O’Biso, and United States Conservator, C. Sease.

  • 1983 Te Maori Catalogue went to publishers.

  • 1984 (April) Final karakia of taonga before departure for the United States.

  • 1984 (June) Three Shipments of taonga for Te Maori left Auckland for Los Angeles.

  • 1984 (August) Advance copies of Te Maori Catalogue arrived in New Zealand.

  • 1984 (September 8) Arrival of kaumātua in New York.

  • 1984 (September 10) Te Maori opened in New York with a dawn blessing ceremony.

Committees

Administration responsibilities for the exhibition were placed in the hands of a Management Committee set up by the Government, and on 13 April 1981 Cabinet (CM 81/14/26 Para b.) agreed to the establishment of an inter-departmental management committee for the exhibition comprising the Permanent Heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Departments of Internal Affairs and Māori Affairs; and the Chairmen of the QEII Arts Council and the Council for Maori and South Pacific Arts.

After its initial meeting on 7 June 1981, several new members were co-opted to the Committee: the curators, the editor of the Te Maori Catalogue, representatives from The Art Galleries and Museums Association (AGMANZ) and the New Zealand Maori Council (NZMC).

The Maori Sub Committee

The Maori Sub Committee was formed to ensure that Māori had a voice in all operations from the time of approval and agreement of the exhibition to its return in early 1986. This was later extended to include the New Zealand tour. The Maori Sub Committee was chaired first by Mr Ihakara Porutu (Kara) Puketapu, Secretary for the Department of Maori Affairs, followed by Dr Tamati Reedy, Secretary for the Department of Maori Affairs, Dr Peter Sharples, and Mr Kuru Waaka.

It included representatives from the Council for Maori and South Pacific Arts, the New Zealand Maori Council, the Maori Education Foundation, the Maori Studies Department of Victoria University, Cultural Officers of the Department of Maori Affairs, and several kaumatua.

In the period up until the 1984 opening of the exhibition in New York, this committee provided guidance on Maori participation in various activities associated with Te Maori, including karakia for the taonga before they left their respective museums for Auckland, and before the packing of the first item in April 1984 in preparation for their departure for the United States.

Māori representation at the American openings

The Maori Sub Committee had the task of determining how Māori participation at the various United States openings would be arrived at. They finally approved of iwi representation along the following lines:

  • New York: Taitokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato/Maniapoto, Raukawa Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Whanganui.

  • St Louis: Mataatua, Tauranga-Moana/Te Arawa/Tuwharetoa

  • San Francisco: Tairāwhiti, Tākitimu, Te Waipounamu

  • Chicago: National representation.

The resounding success of Te Maori in both the United States and New Zealand is testimony to the dedication and sense of personal commitment which the Management Committee members individually and collectively addressed themselves in the enormous logistical, economic, social, and cultural tasks which were necessary for staging an exhibition of this magnitude.

Exhibition Team

An Exhibition Team was requested by AGMANZ and authorised by the directors of the contributing New Zealand museums and the New Zealand Management Committee. The team advised the New Zealand Management Committee on matters of museological concern. The team’s coordinator was Dr Rodney Wilson from the Auckland City Art Gallery. Its members included the curators for the exhibition, conservators, registrars, a courier, a photographer and an AGMANZ representative.

This team took care of the assembly procedures and supervised the exhibition’s delivery to New York and its collection from Chicago. In March 1984, this team played a major role in the preparation for the safe packaging and handling of taonga as they were moved from their museum location to Auckland.

This team was also responsible for the technical and logistical matters for the New Zealand tour of Te Maori Te Hokinga Mai The Return Home. It remained fully functional until 9 November 1987 when the taonga in Te Maori were all finally returned to their lending museums.

Contributing Museums

In the North Island, the contributing museums were the National Museum of New Zealand, Wellington; Hawke’s Bay Art-Gallery and Museum, Napier, Gisborne Museum and Art Centre; Whakatane District Museum; Rotorua Museum; Taranaki Museum, New Plymouth; Te Awamutu and District Museum; Waikato Museum, Hamilton and the Auckland Institute and Museum.

In the South Island, the contributing museums were the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, Invercargill; Otago Museum, Dunedin; Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, and the Nelson Provincial Museum, Nelson.

Two kinds of approval – legal and cultural

Two kinds of approval were necessary before the exhibition could proceed. These were based on: legal ownership and cultural ownership – Article 3.l(c) of the the QE II Arts Council Proposal from September 1980 states:

“The most important point stressed in all discussions was that while the works of Maori art involved were currently housed in museum collections their spiritual ownership remained vested in the Maori people. This principle of dual ownership would have to be acknowledged in all arrangements pertaining to the selection approval and presentation of the works. Kara Puketapu subsequently visited Newton and Green to reinforce this point, and stressed that full consultation with the Maori people was essential.”

Associated Activities and educational outreach

A wide range of cultural activities accompanied the exhibition to promote New Zealand in the U.S. Acting as cultural/education advisor to the Museums was a Māori teacher from New Zealand Mrs June Mead.

These activities included Māori performances, carving and weaving demonstrations, and contemporary art shows. The U.S. host museums, in collaboration with the New Zealand Consulate, developed educational and outreach programs to provide a broader cultural context for the exhibition. These programs featured seminars, lectures, and hands-on learning experiences aimed at deepening the understanding of Māori culture for American audiences.

From the Report to Cabinet:

“It is an acknowledged fact that the presence of the Kaumatua at each of the venues was by far the most effective means of showing continuity with the past and thereby showing that Te Maori is a living art. The Kaumatua made a great contribution to the total learning and cultural experience of all whom they met.” 

The Catalogue

A major catalogue was produced for Te Maori, including six essays on Māori art and culture. Professor Hirini (Sidney) Mead, a key figure in the project, took overall editorial responsibility and contributed two essays. The catalogue was an important scholarly resource that complemented the exhibition by providing historical and cultural insights into the works on display. Other writers were: Mr Dave Simmons (who also prepared the catalogue entries), Mrs Agness Sullivan, Mr Bernard Kernot, and Mr Piri Sciascia.

Sponsors and logistics

The exhibition received significant sponsorship, most notably from Mobil Oil Corporation, which provided financial support for the exhibition’s U.S. leg. Bechtol Corporation and a private donor, Mrs P Wattis contributed to the San Francisco showing of Te Maori.

Air New Zealand also played a critical role, offering free transportation for the taonga in three separate shipments between New Zealand and the U.S. This logistical support ensured the safe passage of the taonga across the Pacific.

Reference

This timeline is taken from extracts from the Te Maori Report to Cabinet of the Te Maori Management Committee to the then Minister of Maori, Honorable Koro T. Wetere.

The members of the Committee listed at the time of the report were:
Dr Tamati M Reedy – Chairman, Prof Sidney M Mead – Deputy Chairman, Mr Kuru Waaka, Mr Piri Sciascia, Mrs Mina McKenzie, Mr Bob Cater, Mr Neil McLeod, Mr Stuart Park, Mr Dave Simmons, Dr T L Rodney Wilson, and Mr Bill Cooper – Executive Officer.

Text in this article is drawn from Draft Te Māori Report to Cabinet of the Te Maori Management Committee. Te Maori / Taonga: general file, 1987-1990. Te Papa (MU000487/002/0002)