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Overview
This 'ahu (Tahitian breadfruit tapa) was produced by Hinatea Colombani (Te Ao Mā'ohi - Tahiti) as a part of the 'Ahu: Ngā wairua o Hina project.
Nourishing the present
This tapa is made from the bark of the 'uru or breadfruit tree, once staple food in many Pacific Islands including those of French Polynesia. The use of breadfruit references the relationships between the Mā'ohi people and their fenua or land.
Hinatea uses breadfruit bark to symbolise the present, referencing the Tahitian custom of planting a breadfruit tree where a newborn's placenta is buried. This tradition signifies the deep connection between people, their place of birth, and the sustenance given to and provided by the land.
“Being Polynesian is more than just blood. It’s inside everything we speak and do. As a child of this land, we care for and eat the food of the land.”
Hinatea Colombani, 2023
Background
In 2021, with the Te Papa Foundation’s support, Te Papa acquired a rare book of tapa cloth samples, one of many assembled by Alexander Shaw in 1787. The samples were cut from larger pieces of tapa collected on Captain Cook’s voyages to the Pacific (1768, 1772, 1776) and represent tapa-making practices from various islands including Hawai‘i, Tahiti and Tonga. While the books contain only fragments of much larger creations, they highlight the variety of textures and artistry attained through the practices, knowledge, and skills of Pacific peoples.
Held in Tahiti in 2023, 'Ahu: Ngā Wairua o Hina brought tapa makers of Tongan, Sāmoan, Niuean, Fijian, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Pitcairn-Norfolk Island, and Māori descent. Over five days this group worked together to re-establish their living relationships to the cloth held within the Alexander Shaw book. Through a process of wānanga this group of makers created two tapa bundles, incorporating the ideas of past, present, and future. Today, one of the bundles resides with Te Papa and the other with Te Fare Iamanaha-Musée de Tahiti et des Îles.