Te Papa collection manager and kaitiaki taonga Moana Parata shares a story of her recent journey to Los Angeles to bring home a precious taonga, a raranga vest collected by Carl Freeze, an American Mormon missionary in the early 1900s.
In December 2024, I travelled to Los Angeles to transport a newly acquired taonga back to New Zealand. This particular taonga is a vest crafted using raranga harakeke, incorporating fabric and velvet trim. Remarkably, it’s believed to have been made between 1900 and 1908 so I was struck by its vibrancy, considering its age.
While we don’t know the name of the weaver who made it or what iwi it came from, it is beautiful, and I was able to explore its fascinating journey during my trip.
This raranga vest is an interesting example of cross-cultural influence, innovation, and adaptation. It was collected by Carl Freeze, an American Mormon missionary who travelled extensively throughout Aotearoa New Zealand between 1904 and 1908. His primary focus was working with Māori communities, during which he collected and was given many taonga.
Kaitiaki of the taonga
I had the privilege of meeting Pamela Stacey, who inherited her grandfather’s collection. As his only descendant and without children of her own, she became the caretaker of these precious taonga.
I stayed with Pamela in Los Angeles, and she also generously shared Carl’s letters with me. Reading them was a privilege, and I was captivated by his accounts of his travels throughout Aotearoa. He often wrote of homesickness, revealing a personal side to his adventures.
As Pamela explained, Carl learned te reo Māori and served as a translator. He once told her that he didn’t convert many people to the Mormon Church because he felt they were fine as they were, a sentiment she found extraordinary for the time and place, reflecting his close contact and the generosity of the Māori people. Pamela believes the vest was a gift, evidence of how well-received and loved Carl was by Māori.
This raranga vest wasn’t the only taonga Carl received. It was one of many gifts he was given by the various whānau he stayed with during his travels. These gifts included several kete woven from harakeke, houhere, kiekie, and pīngao, using traditional dyes from that early period.
Below are other examples of kete from his collection, now with Pamela.
This smaller one is particularly delicate, designed to hold a small shell within its own kete muka.
Freeze also brought back several postcards and photographs – it would be great to know who the tūpuna in this slideshow are.
Photograph of an unknown kaumātua in Carl Freeze’s collection.
Hoki ki te kainga – return home
Pamela has diligently preserved these taonga in remarkable condition, a testament to her care over the years. She expressed that it’s time for them to “hoki ki te kainga” – to return home. With more time and research, it is my hope that eventually all these taonga will find their way back to their whānau, hapu, and iwi.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have met Pamela Stacey. At 79, she is vibrant and down-to-earth, living right on the beach in Los Angeles. She is a warm and generous spirit who clearly enjoys sharing her stories. I believe her grandfather would be immensely pleased to know that she has been such a devoted guardian of his collection of taonga.
Ngā mihi nui Pamela for sharing taonga tuku iho.
A great read. It’s very impressive that the dyes have lasted so we’ll for so long.