The Auckland War Memorial Museum

The first group of objects I was drawn to was those displayed in the Cook Islands section. This small corner of the museum floor contains two rows of artifacts displayed in glass cabinets, a patchwork quilt, and a collection of jewellery. Initially I was attracted to the brighter colours and more floral style than exhibited in other areas, such as in the Tongan and Samoan sections.

Tivaevai taorei, patchwork quild, designed and made by Mrs. Kaitamaki in 1969, Aitutaki

The Tivaevae taorei (patchwork quilt) by Mrs Kaitamaki combines traditional tapa cloth styles and functions with quilting, which was introduced by the missionaries, a theme I reflected on in relation to Tongan culture in my previous blog. Like the Tongan tapa cloth, the tivaevai are usually made by several women at once, and are handed down from mother to daughter, representing family love and status. Tivaevai are made using patchwork and appliqué techniques. It was embraced enthusiastically by the women of the Cook Islands when the missionaries introduced quilting over a century ago, and has become a major expression of women's art in eastern Polynesia. They are displayed on special occasions such as christenings, weddings and funerals. This piece of brightly coloured art really stood out against the equally beautiful but less colourful tapa cloth and mats displayed in other Pacific Island sections. The cloths are displayed on a wall, which is appropriate given their size, shape and allocated space, but they were above the eyeline and it would provide better viewing if they were placed lower down. These pieces were very dimly lit and I felt this did not allow them to be viewed in their full glory, but this could be for a reason, such as colours fading. Had their been more space, it would be appropriate to place these items within context, by displaying them as they would be at a special occasion. A viewer glancing at this piece whilst walking past may assume it to be a mat, so perhaps displaying a photograph of the tivaevae in use beside the piece would provide instant context. During my research, I also found images of tivaevae hanging on lines at local Cook Islands markets - this would be a more interesting form of display.

Found image - Woman with tivaevae, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

The Cook Islands collection included floral jewellery and grass skirts made from natural resources and vibrant colours. In ancient times, the jewellery and head adornments were symbols of high ranking chiefly status and also referred to religion. They were made from permanent materials such as whale ivory and highly prized feathers. In modern times, these adornments are made from more temporary materials such as flowers and shells. The jewellery has become non demoncratic and non religious, and is worn as decoration for all occasions.

I captured this photo of locals dancing in traditional Cook Island costumes in Rarotonga, 2009. The bright colours reflect the energetic style of dancing, an art which is very important in the Cook Islands.

Rajah is a 13 ton male Indian elephant on display in a section depicting life of children in New Zealand during the early 1900s. Bought by Auckland Zoo in 1930 to give rides to children, it was decided six years later that he was not tame enough, and he was executed by a keeper, stuffed, and displayed in the museum.

This museum piece raises questions of human morality and responsibility. One may find it shocking to hear this great beast was slaughtered for such reason at the very hands of the people who bought him into that situation in the first place. It is, however, one of the few pieces in the museum which provides a true reason of how it came to be there. Perhaps the public would be more shocked if the true stories of many other artefacts were provided. Many pieces would have been stolen from pillaged villages in times of war and massacre, but the only information provided may be 'donated by...'.

I felt Rajah is a good representation of how museums are effectively tombs, removing objects out from the real world, where they have a more soulful value and context, and providing them a second cycle of life where they become merely an object for display, all life and sacredness, coldly removed. I also wondered why he was placed in a section surrounded by lollies and school uniforms, when he would have been better situated alongside other wild animals. This placement, in my opinion, further demeans and disrespects the situation of this piece. It is ironic that in life he refused to provide rides for children at the zoo, but for the next however many years, he would be involuntarily surrounded by the artefacts of children.

I learned nothing scientific from this museum display.

The third area I would like to mention is the area which portrays Maori culture, and a history of the Maori people in New Zealand. This room communicates the traditional Maori culture through various displays. There is a Maori cultural performance of singing, dancing and poi, where the actors wear the traditional attire, which costs $25.00. Other displays include carvings, installations of examples of architecture, musical instruments, wakas and toys.

I was particularly interested in the fishing equipment on display. It is portrayed in a fashion which implies it is respected and interesting. It does not include any information on the background of Maori fishing within New Zealand - Maori fishing rights were removed by settlers during the colonization of New Zealand and they have spent years attempting to receive these right back. Even though the Treaty of Waitangi stated that Maori fishing rights would not be affected by the arrival of Pakeha, laws passed since removed all rights entirely, and it has taken years to restore a type of balance.

The objects selected in this room romanticise the Maori society within New Zealand. Everything is implied to be in the past rather than the present and there is no mention of the wars, suffering or tremendous struggles and poor treatment of the Maori by settlers. This piece of history is omitted from the exhibition, and this may give the tourist the impression of a history peaceful relationship of Maori and Pakeha.



Left to right:

The positive relationship is also conveyed in the paintings of Maori chiefs on the wall by settlers. They are painted in their cultural attire, and their pounamu, moko and traditional clothing is highlighted by the artists, implying that the culture is respected. The frames a look important, They are portrayed to look wise and there is a sense of importance, as only upper class citizens were painted in such a way at that time, although this was probably to send back to England to provide visual information of the natives. It is interesting that in almost none of the paintings does the chief meet the gaze of the viewer. The narrative below informs the viewer that one of them was married to an English woman, and she came to live with him in Parnell. In fact, indigenous people were treated as savages. There were bloody wars. Their laws were abolished, and their land, taken from them. The Maori language was eventually banned. These are some examples of the turbulent relationship between Maori and Pakeha. A tourist viewing his exhibition without much prior knowledge of the history of New Zealand would leave this collection of work being none the wiser of the bitter struggle between cultures. These paintings are also of the Maori people as portrayed by Pakeha, not themselves. They are of chiefs. The settlers promised that the chiefs would be treated upper class gentlemen. This is an idea which may be conveyed to a viewer through these paintings, but in truth, chiefs were abused, arrested, their land pillaged, and their voices ignored by the colonizers. This is particularly interesting, given that the name of the museum is the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Although it is not referencing those particular wars, one would thing that they ought to be remembered as part of recent Maori history.

Another interesting exhibit in this room is the map of New Zealand which uses the Maori place names. When New Zealand was colonized, there was a struggle over land ownership. The British passed a law to the effect that the Maori could keep only the land they lived on and used for farming. This allowed the Crown to claim nearly all the land in New Zealand, as it was mostly uninhabited. It mattered not to the settlers that the Maori people had been there for centuries and that they already had names for the locations throughout the country - this was dismissed entirely, and new maps were created at the whim of the Pakeha. There is no context surrounding this map, other than that it demonstrates the Maori place names as of historical interest. There was a huge struggle as the settlers led the Maori to believe, through the Treaty of Waitangi, that their land rights would not be affected. This map provides some cultural insight which would interest a tourist, but they would again receive a completely romanticised view of New Zealand, and the idea of Maori culture belonging mostly in the past.

This exhibition portrays a Maori culture as modern Pakeha in New Zealand would like the rest of the world to see it - as a peaceful, respected, balance of cultured and a unique and important cultural history. It shunts the culture of the Maori people into the past, as society has been doing for years, and oppresses them. It seems strange to me that the artefacts on display were in fact a reality in this country until very recently in history, yet they are pushed very much into the past, and with no real explanation. Clearly, there are some aspects of Maori culture which are not or practical use since the colonization of New Zealand, but some are used every day. Pounamu is used, for example, for Maori healing. The jewellery designs are still commonplace, but they are made less sacred by displaying them in cold cases on a wall and flogging rip off versions in gift shops. The Maori people are obviously very part of society in New Zealand today, but this history of Maori culture does not acknowledge this.