Shell

This is a Conus aureus, a species of seashell found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region. This specimen was picked up in Tokelau and brought to New Zealand in 1989 by Kupa Kupa, a member of a Tokelau community living in Porirua, New Zealand. It is symbolic of Kupa's personal story of migration to New Zealand.

Significance

Kupa migrated to New Zealand with his family from the atoll of Fakaofo, Tokelau in 1969. He was five years old at the time. In 1989 an opportunity came up for him to go back to Tokelau on a holiday with an aunty and cousin. They intended to visit for only for a few weeks but they enjoyed the experience so much that they ended up staying there for nearly 12 months. The week before Kupa returned to New Zealand he looked for something to bring back that would help him feel connected to Fakaofo. He picked this shell up along the edges of the lagoon close to his house and took it with him. Today it is part of Te Papa's collection as an example of how people can make important connections to distant places, people and experiences through seemingly ordinary things.

Acquisition history

In 2007, Kupa gifted his precious shell from Tokelau to Te Papa Tongarewa, at the opening ceremony of the exhibition Tangata o le Moana: The story of Pacific people in New Zealand.