Co-collecting climate change in Tokelau: Project IKA
Pacific curator Rachel Yates introduces a co-collecting project that took Te Papa to Tokelau’s three low-lying coral atolls in the South Pacific.Read more
2021-05-03
Community in Tokelau: Learning from ‘atoll life’
In November 2017 media producer Kate Whitley joined a Te Papa expedition to Tokelau. Reflecting on her journey, Kate explores the photos of Glenn Jowitt in our collection and talks with Paula Faiva about growing up in Tokelau and the importance of the inati (equal portions) system that underpins island life.Read more
2018-10-22
A trip to remote Tokelau: Life a few metres above sea level
The Pacific island nation of Tokelau is one of the most remote places on the planet, and, with the entire country sitting metres above sea level, one of the most under threat from climate change. Media creator Kate Whitley describes the journey to this vulnerable ‘necklace of small islands’.Read more
2018-01-11
Four rare photographs from Olohega, Tokelau
Pacific Curator Sean Mallon highlights four photographs taken in Olohega in the most eastern atoll of Tokelau.Read more
2013-11-03
From Tokelau to New Zealand
Senior Pacific Curator Sean Mallon looks at the wave of Tokelau migration to New Zealand that began in the 1960s and its consequences.Read more
2013-11-02
The history of Tokelau tatau and tattooing
Senior Curator Pacific Cultures Sean Mallon looks at what the archival and published record tells us about tattooing in Tokelau.Read more
2013-11-01
Weaving connections: the story of a kie tau
This kie tau was woven 22 years ago, but it still looks as good as new.Read more
2013-10-30
Tokelauan community group, Te Lauhigano Tokelau
Pacific Cultures curator Rachel Yates, highlights the work and initiatives of Tokelauan community group, Te Lauhigano Tokelau from Porirua, New Zealand. The Tokelauan population in New Zealand is significant; the last census details from 2006 inform us that Tokelauans are the sixth largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand. 6,819Read more
2013-10-30
Seven things you should know about Tokelau
Pacific Curator Sean Mallon gives us seven facts about Tokelau – a country made up of four atolls that lies north of the Samoan Islands, and east of Tuvalu. Read more
2013-10-28
Mafutaga Tupulaga Tokelau Porirua revisited
Pacific Curator Sean Mallon asks Tokelauan Kevin Sesale Setefano from Mafutaga Tupulaga Tokelau Porirua, to recount his memories of a photograph taken in 1986 that relates to one of Te Papa’s collections.Read more
2012-11-02
Tokelau kie tau (fine mat) with an edge
This week is the inaugural Tokelau Language Week (29 October – 4 November). The theme is Ke mau ki pale o Tokelau: Hold fast to the treasures of Tokelau. To celebrate, the Pacific Cultures team will post a blog each day highlighting cultural treasures from Tokelau in Te Papa’s collections.Read more
2012-11-01
Tuluma – fishing boxes of Tokelau
Since Senior Curator Pacific Cultures Sean Mallon began working with the Te Papa collections in the early 1990s, he has admired the tuluma of Tokelau (fishing boxes). Tuluma is the name given to wooden boxes that are used to carry fishing gear in canoes or as storage containers in theRead more
2012-10-31
An environmental profile of Tokelau
Senior Pacific Curator Sean Mallon gives a short environmental profile of Tokelau and finishes with one of Tokelau’s creation stories.Read more
2012-10-29
Tokelau Expo – a different loan request
A few months ago we received a rather unusual loan request, on the surface the request looked quite straight forward however on closer inspection it was going to be rather challenging. First of all the Community Mafutaga Tupulaga Tokelau Porirua had asked if they could borrow some of the TokelauanRead more
2012-04-19