He poi manu

This poi was used by Teina Davidson for kapa haka practice. It was a gift from her mother in 2012. Teina attended Ngā Mokopuna o te Tai Tonga from birth along with her siblings. Kapa haka is one way the family connects with their Maori culture and heritage, something that is extremely important because the children are growing up in Auckland city away from their cultural roots.

The poi was collected to represent some of the key moments and everyday life of then three-year-old Teina Davidson, who is part of Te Papa's collecting contemporary New Zealand childhood project. This is an ongoing project that includes children in the University of Auckland's Growing Up in New Zealand research.

This poi was made by visual artist Ngahina Hohaia. Hohaia was raised at Parihaka, in Taranaki. In the 1860s, the village was engaged in a campaign of non-violent resistance to European occupation of confiscated land. A government military operation invaded in 1881 with leaders Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi imprisoned. Hohaia's work reflects on the pain and sorrow endured by the people of Parihaka.