A whalebone club has been returned to the Kiingitanga, from an exhibition that was housed at Auckland Museum.
Day five of the tangihanga of Kiingi Tuheitia has commenced today and thousands have again gathered to pay their respects.
One of the many travelling groups is Auckland Museum, Tāmaki Paenga Hira, which is returning a gift that was offered to them on behalf of the Kiingitanga.
Museum iwi relations manager Robert ‘Bobby’ Newson says this is a full circle moment, returning something given to them.
“He taonga anō rā tā mātou e whakahoki mai. I mauria mai e Tuheitia i roto anō i te whakaaritanga o te Kiingitanga i runga i a mātou anō a Tāmaki Paenga Hira i tērā atu tau e whakahokia mai ana te mere patu nei, he parāoa. Engari ko te ingoa o te mere nei, ko te ngaki mate. Nāreira, e whakahokia mai ana i te rā nei.”
We have a treasure that we are returning. It was given to us by Tuheitia for the Kiingitanga exhibition on display at Auckland Museum a couple of years ago. We are returning the whalebone club. The name of the club is ‘Ngaki Mate.’ So it’s being returned today.
The patu parāoa ‘whalebone club’ belonged to the first Māori King, Pootatau Te Wherowhero and was a personal item that has been held by the Kiingitanga for seven generations, soon to be eighth.
The patu was gifted to Tāmaki Paenga Hira by the King’s son, Whatumoana in 2020 and was on display as a part of the Te Paki o Matariki; 160 years of the Kiingitanga exhibition.
The translation of the patu, ‘Ngaki Mate’ was noted as the Harvester of death.
Newson says the time has come for this treasure, once displayed for the nation to view, to come home.
“E pērā ana nā te mea, mai rānō tō mātou whakaaro me whakahoki mai i te taonga nei. Engari, kua tae ki te wā, nāna anō te karanga ki a mātou me whakahoki mai anō te taonga nei ā te wā. Engari kua tae ki taua wā rā, ki tōna tangi, ā, kua hoki mai i tēnei rā.”
It’s like that because, for a long time, our thoughts have been on returning this treasure. But the time has come. He asked for it to be returned in due course. But now that time has arrived at his tangihanga and is being returned today.
Along with Tāmaki Paenga Hira, many tribes from around the country and the Pacific have come to pay their respects to Kiingi Tuheitia.