Te Rā, the last surviving traditional Māori sail, has secured an extended loan, keeping it in Aotearoa until 2029, rekindling a national conversation over whether this priceless artifact should ever return to Britain or stay home for good.
While its presence allows researchers and weavers to finally unlock centuries-old navigational techniques, experts emphasise that a permanent homecoming requires more than just the desire to reclaim history.
Renowned weaver and Auckland Museum curator Dr Kahutoi Te Kanawa argues that whānau must be fully resourced and trained to care for such delicate, ancient taonga before repatriation becomes permanent.
“We’d love to bring a lot of our taonga home, but we also need to teach our people how to look after them,” Te Kanawa says.
Unlocking Ancestral Knowledge
Measuring 4.5 metres long and crafted from 13 finely woven harakeke panels, Te Rā was created in the late 18th century, though its exact creator and origin within Aotearoa remain a mystery.
Marks of wear show it was actively used before being taken to Britain, where it spent more than 200 years housed at the British Museum.
Since returning to Aotearoa in 2023, the sail has offered researchers and weavers an invaluable window into ancestral navigation.
Te Kanawa says having Te Rā in Aotearoa could help researchers unlock knowledge held within the sail.
“We will be able to understand the technical side of our navigational stories.”
Te Rā is again on display at Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira following the closure of Te Marae Ātea, the museum’s Māori Court.
It is exhibited alongside traditional and contemporary Māori art in the museum’s new Te Ripo o te Moana exhibition.
Co-curator Nigel Borell says the opening of the exhibition demonstrates the enduring importance of taonga Māori to society.
“I think it’s a nice reminder that it’s loved, that it’s cherished and that we miss it. And I think that’s a part of bringing this exhibition together as a reminder of the power of our taonga and our Māori art traditions to lead the way.”
Looking to the future
Te Ripo o te Moana is open to the public and showcases a range of Māori art, from traditional cloaks woven with bird feathers to a contemporary glass counterpart.
Borell says the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to move through te ao Māori and explore the connections between traditional and contemporary art.
“It’s the convergence of artists across time. So, you have contemporary Māori artists exhibiting alongside our tohunga whakairo of another year and era, yet are unified, if you like, through the making traditions that they are collectively investigating, presenting and exploring in their mahi.”
With Te Rā now remaining in Aotearoa until 2029, Te Kanawa is hopeful its temporary homecoming could become permanent.
Reflecting on the prospect of its return, she says,
“Ko taku ngākau, ka tino harikoa. Ka mīharo taku ngākau if we were able to have Te Rā return home.”
