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
Gear necessities: what our botanists take on their field trips
Ever wondered what curators take with them when they go out on the field (or in the mountains, or down in the depths of the oceans)? Let’s begin with botanists Lara Shepherd and Leon Perrie.Read more
2024-02-20
What’s in a name? Cook Islands Language Week 2020
The theme for Cook Islands Language Week 2020 is Kia pūāvai tō tātou reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani i Aotearoa, That the Cook Islands Māori language may blossom throughout New Zealand. Kaitiaki Taonga Collection Manager Humanities Grace Hutton looks at some of the history of the names and languages of the different islands that make up the Cook Islands archipelago. Read more
2020-08-05
Revisiting the Tongan co-collecting stories of Project 83: Small Things Matter – Grant Vea‘ila
For Uike Kātoanga‘i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga |Tongan Language Week we are sharing the stories of the ‘youth agents’ of Project 83: Small Things Matter. This co-collecting project was developed in 2017 by the Year 13 Tongan language class of Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate.Read more
2020-09-11
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
Countering stereotypes through co-collecting with Tongan youth
As part of our co-collecting initiative with the Tongan community, students have been considering what truly represents them and counters stereotypical representations. Curator Pacific Art, Nina Tonga highlights some of the students and their selected objects.Read more
2017-06-16
Language, culture, and the impact of ‘Slavers in Paradise’
Curator Pacific Cultures Rachel Yates takes a look at the book Slavers in Paradise, and a lesser-known episode of Cook Islands and Pacific history.Read more
2017-08-04
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
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
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
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
Photographer Glenn Jowitt passes away
It is with sadness and regret that we learned that photographer Glenn Jowitt died suddenly on 22nd July. Glenn is best known for his photography of Pacific people and their cultures, both in New Zealand and in the Pacific Islands. Glenn was born in 1955 in Upper Hutt. He studied artRead more
2014-07-26
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
