Te Tākinga pātaka

Te Tākinga pātaka
This celebrated taonga of Ngāti Pikiao currently stands in the Mana Whenua exhibition at Te Papa. Its magnificently carved presence imbues ancestral prestige, status, tribal history, excellence in the arts and expression of Māori customary values.

Te Tākinga is considered to be a significant taonga-a-iwi for the descendants of Ngāti Pikiao, and is a prominent feature in the public role of Te Papa. However, as with many taonga from its era, its past contexts have been diverse, reflective of the perceptions and cultural ideals of colonial New Zealand. Te Tākinga derives its name from the tekoteko (carved figure at the apex of the roof), representing the ancestor Te Tākinga. His father, Pikiao II, is the carved doorway.

Te Tākinga was carved by Te Hareti Te Whanarere of Ngāti Makino with metal tools, about 1850. It stood at Te Hape, Te Taheke, Lake Rotoiti. Its former name was Maramataeahoaho. The pātaka was the scene of an illicit meeting between the wife of Te Pokiha Taranui and Te Hareti, as Te Pokiha had married the latter's wife. As a result of a taua, the pātaka was given to Te Pokiha in recompense.

In 1886, Captain Gilbert Mair, acting as an agent on behalf of his brother-in-law, magistrate, ornithologist, and lawyer Sir Walter Buller, purchased the pātaka, and 10 other carvings from Raiwhara and Te Hareti. The other carvings were from the tomb of Te Waata, the elder brother of Te Pokiha. Mair was in the middle of packing the carvings up when a dispute arose over the sale. According to Mair's diary, the 'sort of fight', lasted most of the day, but he was able to settle matters with a further payment.

Sir Walter, a self- professed 'thorough disciple of Darwin' , believed the Māori was an endangered species, as many of the indigenous birds that he collected. This conviction was monumentally expressed in his private estate at Lake Papaitonga, Levin. Buller established Papaitonga as a natural 'reserve' of indigenous flora and fauna, which inevitably included Māori 'handiwork', such as the pātaka. This followed the English country garden trend of dotting ancient Greek and Roman ruins amongst the scenery. Te Tākinga thus became, "a metaphor of ruin of a dying race."

Prior to this arcadian vision, Buller exhibited Te Tākinga in May 1886 in South Kensington, London, at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. This exhibition continued the popularity for shows demonstrating the colonial expansion of the British Empire in the sciences, industries and arts. Buller was the New Zealand Commissioner, and received a knighthood for his services. Before returning to New Zealand, Buller took the opportunity to exhibit Te Tākinga at the 1888 Centennial International Exhibition in Melbourne.

After Buller's death in 1906, his son Leo donated his Māori collection to the Dominion Museum in 1911. The carved front of Te Tākinga was presented as part of this gift. The sides, back and supporting piles were the work of resident Museum carver, Thomas Heberley, of Te Atiawa, in the early 1930's.

Te Tākinga pātaka today exemplifies the importance of the living relationship between taonga and people. The principle of Mana Taonga was a key aspect to the development of the Mana Whenua exhibition, as Ngāti Pikiao were participants and advisors throughout the entire exhibition process. As one member stated, "Te Tākinga has done its time out in the weather", now is its time to celebrate its cultural significance to the world.