Pacific curator Rachel Yates looks at daily life in Tuvalu through five photographs taken by New Zealand photographer Thomas Andrew (1855 – 1939), who spent a significant amount of time in the Pacific region.Read more
This week to celebrate Tuvalu language week 2014 we have shared a few highlights from our collection on Instagram including a pair of taka (reef sandals). In Tuvalu taka were more than a fashion statement, for some they were a necessity. Tuvalu is a low-lying island group made up of four reef islandsRead more
Fakatalofa atu! This week is Tuvalu language week 2014 and the theme is Tuvalu ko tou lagaifakalaga ke mau mai aulua foe: Your language keeps your culture and identity afloat, continue to work together. The Papa’s Pacific Cultures collections have around 195 artefacts associated with Tuvalu, including fishing gear, fans,Read more
Rachel Yates (Curator Pacific Cultures) writes: The Pacific Cultures Collection storeroom has been very busy with guests of all ages from all over the world. In the last six months, it has been great to see visitors and the Pacific community connect with objects that have been acquired from Pacific people andRead more
If British ex-special forces soldier and survival expert Bear Grylls was marooned on a coral atoll, how would he survive? What resources would be available to him? What tools could he make, what would he make them out of, what would he eat? What challenges would face him? The peopleRead more
This week is Tuvalu language week and the theme is “Tuvalu tau gana ko tou lagaifakalaga Tuvalu, your language keeps your culture and identity afloat”. Over the past week curators from the Pacific Cultures team have highlighted key Tuvalu artefacts and stories from Te Papa’s collections. Today’s blogpost is fromRead more
This week is Tuvalu language week and the theme is “Tuvalu tau gana ko tou lagaifakalaga Tuvalu, your language keeps your culture and identity afloat”. Curators from the Pacific Cultures team are highlighting key Tuvalu artefacts and stories from Te Papa’s collections. It is busy at Te Papa right now, withRead more
Te ano – a little like volleyball, a little like murderball – is the national game of Tuvalu, played by people of all ages and genders. Here, Pacific Cultures Curator Rachel Yates explains the rules.Read more
A major of focus of Te Papa’s work is on documenting aspects of Intangible Cultural Heritage including oral histories and traditions, performances, knowledge around crafts, social practices, rituals and customs. Language is an important element of all of these activities. Regular readers of the blog will know that we haveRead more
