Exhibitions On now

General view of an exhibition space with a large projection on the wall, a waka (Māori canoe) in the foreground, and further exhibits in the background

Mana Whenua

Experience powerful stories that celebrate Māori as tangata whenua

  tangata whenuaindigenous people of New ZealandMāori | Noun – the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

In Mana Whenua, explore the richness of Māori life and heritage through taonga

  taongacultural treasuresMāori | Noun, oral histories, and contemporary art works.

Encounter taonga tuku ihotaonga tuku iho treasures handed down ranging from weaving, carving, and pounamu

  pounamuNew Zealand greenstoneMāori | Noun pendants, to waka

  wakacanoesMāori | Noun and whare

  wharebuildingsMāori | Noun.

Tamariki

  TamarikichildrenMāori | Noun can explore te ao Māorite ao Māori the Māori world through activities in the Te Huka ā Tai Discovery Centre next door.

Plan your visit
  • When | Āhea Permanent exhibition
  • Where | Ki hea Level 4
  • Cost | Te utu Free entry
  • Ages | Te reanga All ages
  • Allow | Me whakarite 30 minutes
  • Accessibility | E wātea ana ki
    • Wheelchair accessible (Please note that the inside of Te Hau ki Tūranga is not accessible by a wheelchair, mobility scooter, or similar.)
    • Variable lighting
    • No photography

    Find out more about accessibility at Te Papa

Highlights

Manu Rere Moana

The navigation of the Pacific by waka hourua | double-hulled sailing waka is one of the great achievements of human technology. This exhibition celebrates the mātauranga of celestial navigation that enabled these extraordinary voyages.

He Kaupapa Waka

See powerful photos of the waka fleet that gathered on Waitangi Day in 2020 to commemorate the 80-year anniversary of the 1940 launch of Ngātokimatawhāorua – named after the ancestral waka that made the voyage from Hawaiki to Aotearoa.

Tchakat Moriori

Explore the story of Moriori, the original inhabitants of the remote islands of Rēkohu, also known as the Chatham Islands or Wharekauri.

Guide to Mana Whenua in New Zealand Sign Language

Te Hau ki Tūranga

An exceptional meeting house at the core of Mana Whenua.

Teremoe

See a waka taua

  waka tauawar canoeMāori | Noun from the Whanganui region, used in battles during the New Zealand wars of the mid 1800s.

Guide to Teremoe in New Zealand Sign Language

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