As we mark the anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle’s devastation over parts of the North Island, Mātauranga Māori Curator Amber Aranui thought it poignant to reflect on the year, what has taken place and where communities are now, and how Te Papa continues to support them. Here she focuses on her own experiences with the hapori she is connected to, Omāhu in Hawke’s Bay.
In a previous post, we shared what we had seen and experienced only a week after the cyclone hit. Migoto Eria and I travelled to Hawke’s Bay after a call for help due to the destruction of the urupā and the presence of ancient ancestral remains being uncovered. Our feelings at the time we were worried about the communities and what we would find, and even if we could get into the affected areas. We were venturing into unknown territory.
Where to start
There was so much devastation and so much to clean up it was hard to know where to start. For me, the focus was on my marae and the community at Omāhu. We needed to gather up the bones of our tūpuna from the urupā and the recently exposed burial place, which we were previously unaware of. This required a lot of planning and discussion. Thankfully we had the support from our colleagues at Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
On reflection, for the people of Omāhu, Gabrielle, though devastating, literally reunited the past with the present. We came face to face with our ancestors, which lived in a time prior to the arrival of Europeans. We got to know more about them with the help of Professor Hallie Buckley, who carefully and respectfully uncovered what she could about their lives, further strengthening our connection to them.
A new resting place
During Matariki last year we were finally able to lay all the ancestors to rest near where they were originally buried. It was a privilege to be involved in this ceremony and one I will not easily forget.
Their new resting place on higher ground was no longer in our ownership but the landowner gave space to fence off and plant with native trees, shrubs, and flaxes in order to protect them from any damage from livestock and future flooding events.
Over 150 taonga which made up sections of at least three structures were also affected by the flood but have now been moved to a safer location. There is much to learn from these special taonga regarding the Omāhu of old and this is something the community are wanting to explore further.
Our place in the process
Over the past year several staff at Te Papa along with our partners at Pouhere Taonga have worked closely with Omāhu and the many marae across the East Coast to help clean and restore taonga large and small, as well as providing advice and expertise in the restoration tukutuku and wharenui.
As we have seen in the media over the past week there is still much to before people can go back to some sort of normalcy. Many are still not able to re-enter their homes, with some still living on their marae and many in temporary housing.
Museums though traditionally focusing on collections and taonga with in their own institutions, have a role to play alongside the wider heritage sector during and long after events like this occur. While support continues in the care and conservation of taonga affected by the flooding, this experience demonstrates the resilience of communities to get in and do what needs to be done. There is also strong desire to know more about the past so that we may protect it for the future.
Finally, this experience made me realise that we need to think about how we become better prepared for the next flood, cyclone, or earthquake. Planning for future events is something we all need to think about in a time of climate change. What is your plan?
