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Overview
This collection of taonga (collection objects) was acquired as part of the 2017 co-collecting initiative Pikipiki hama kae vaevae manava: joining our vaka to share our breath or life stories. As part of the project, Te Papa Pacific Cultures staff worked alongside Edmond Fehoko to acquire taonga and offer unique insight into the landscape of kalapu kava Tonga in Tamaki Auckland.
This initiative focused on building Te Papa's Tongan collection and inspired by the volunteer fieldworkers programme run by the Vanuatu Cultural Centre since the 1970s. Through this programme fieldworkers are trained in an annual workshop before they set out into the ‘field’ to collect cultural material and document knowledge on a range of topics.
Fehoko collected a range of taonga to document kalapu kava Tonga as a constantly evolving practice.