Ngākahu programme

Past Workshops

Ngākahu Wānanga

22–23 April 2024, Te Papa Tongarewa

Ngākahu and National Services Te Paerangi presented this 2-day hui at Te Papa Tongarewa. The programme featured a series of talks that focused on repatriation to the Pacific, discussion on the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to repatriation work and a workshop which reviewed current guidelines and process for the sector. A highlight was a rongoā workshop which offered participants insights into customary Māori practices for health and wellbeing. 

Repatriation to the Pacific Region

Ngākahu Project Lead Dr Jamie Metzger shared high-level results of the scoping report written for Manatū Taonga. Her kōrero covered the holdings of Pacific provenance remains that reside in New Zealand museums, an overview of previous repatriations from New Zealand to the Pacific region, considerations for returns in the future, and areas for further work. 

Repatriation to Mangaia, Cook Islands

Professor Hallie Buckley shared her recent experience of repatriation of over 100 ‘ui tūpuna from the University of Otago to their ancestral homeland in Mangaia, Cook Islands.

Repatriation to Fiji

As part of the Auckland Museum summer student project Starr Ratapu completed a provenance report of remains belonging to an iTaukei (Indigenous) Fijian person/ancestor, currently being cared for by the museum. It is hoped that this report, along with iTaukei Fijian community discussions, will help to facilitate a future repatriation. Starr Ratapu (Collection Manager Taonga Māori) presented some of the findings and recommendations of her research alongside Dr Tarisi Vunidilo, a Fijian archaeologist and curator who specialises in indigenous museology and heritage management.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Repatriation

This was a time to sit in the Signs of a Nation exhibition space and have a discussion about how Te Tiriti o Waitangi relates to our repatriation mahi and the ways in which we will continue to support one another. 

Museums Aotearoa National Repatriation Policy for Kōiwi Tangata and Associated Burial Taonga within Aotearoa 

This workshop was designed to help us consider the purpose of policy versus procedure and to review if the National policy is still reflective of the current operating environment and to establish a process for review for June 2025.

Encounters Fellows

The National Museum of Australia’s Encounters Fellowship offers up to six emerging and mid-career First Nations cultural practitioners the opportunity to gain professional development in a hands-on program at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra and partner cultural institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This was a time for the Network to meet with the 2024 cohort of fellows as part of their placement at Te Papa Tongarewa.

Rongoā Workshop

In this session our facilitator and Pou Rongoā, Shar Moate-Davis covered:

• An introduction to rongoā as a restorative indigenous system of healing and wellbeing in Aotearoa

• Reciting karakia

• The practices of mauri tau and waiora in restoring your own mauri and wairua

• How to prepare a waikohu whakawatea (clearing spray) using tikanga-ā-rongoā

• Setting a tau oranga, a self-care goal

Ngākahu Wānanga

22–23 August 2023, Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ngākahu and National Services Te Paerangi were pleased to present this hui in partnership with Tāmaki Paenga Hira.  This two-day event for the New Zealand Repatriation Network was a chance to meet together kanohi ki te kanohi, to share our mahi and identify ways in which we can collaborate and work together. Ngākahu presented a number of talks and workshops alongside the Network meeting.

Cyclone Gabrielle Response and Recovery

On the 12 February 2023 Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island of Aotearoa, causing wide spread flooding, landslides and damage to the Hawke’s Bay region. Each marae community was affected differently by this weather event. Omahu marae was faced with recovering kōiwi that had been displaced by the food waters. Natasha Hanara will share her reflections on the Omahu response and recovery.

Connecting the threads of our shared history

On behalf of the Te Hokinga mai o nga iwi tūpuna working group, Trudi Taepa, Kahurangi Bailey and Te Poihi Campbell shared some of their challenges, successes and key learnings they have encountered in preparing for the repatriation of tūpuna from the Taranaki rohe. This return will involve eight Taranaki iwi and five institutions, all working together to restore cultural connections and reciprocal relationships.

Tour of Egypt: In the Time of Pharaohs exhibition

Egyptologist and Auckland Museum’s Membership Coordinator, Joseph Main gave a tour of the Egypt: In the time of Pharoahs exhibition. Joseph completed his Masters of Arts in Ancient History from the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau and has studied Egypt for over ten years. His main focuses have been the religion of Egypt's complex afterlife and the use of magic in ancient Egypt. He also currently teaches a course on Ancient Medical History at Auckland University.

Ka Hokia

The purpose of this workshop was to bring everyone to come together and plan the upcoming Ngāti Kahungunu return. Nigel How covered the six taiwhenua and their physical boundaries, their primary contacts and a proposed timeline of activity.

Return, Reconcile Renew Project

31 March 2023, Online

This online workshop was a chance for members of the New Zealand Repatriation Network to hear from members of the Return, Reconcile, Renew (RRR) Project Professor Cressida Fforde, Winsome Adam and Dr Amber Aranui. The team shared a background of the initiative, its outcomes and its majority indigenous governance structure, and showed us a live demonstration of the digital archive. This was a chance for the Network to place their work in a global context, understand how the RRR might be relevant to their practice and identify future opportunities for collaboration.

Tikanga Māori

3 November 2022, Omaka Marae

In this workshop facilitator Kiley Nepia (Hawaiki Kura) guided the group through a range of activities to connect to and learn more about Te Ao Māori (the Māori worldview) and fundamental Māori cultural values and practices. The workshop used the Wairau Bar repatriation as a local example of reconnecting and returning tūpuna (ancestors) back to iwi (tribal group). Participants gained more awareness of repatriation, its significance to descendant communities and the cultural practices revitalised during the return.

Repatriation and Collection Management

5 October 2022, via Zoom

This online workshop focused on the policies, processes and the real-life practicalities of navigating the care of museum-held human remains and other sensitive items. Panellists Te Arikirangi Mamaku-Ironside (Acting Head of Repatriation, Karanga Aotearoa), Dr Amber Aranui (Curator Mātauranga Māori), Kirsty Cox (Manager Collections Information Systems) and Gareth Watkins (Collections Data Manager) drew from their experiences to respond to four hypothetical scenarios that relate to repatriation and collection management:

• Our museum has just completed a repatriation, what do we do with the associated documentation?
• I just stumbled upon an image of human remains or other sensitive items, what do I do?
• We have received a complaint that an image of human remains or other sensitive item is published in our collections online portal, how should we respond?
• I have discovered associated documentation relating to human remains or other sensitive items, eg X-rays, historical labels, reports, how should I store them appropriately?

Repatriation Policy and NAPGRA with Dr C. Timothy McKeown

23 September 2022, Te Papa Tongarewa

Visiting legal anthropologist Dr C. Timothy McKeown led a one-day workshop related to repatriation and the American context. Dr McKeown gave the participants an overview of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) its legislative history and requirements. Sarah Murray (Head of Collections and Research) shared her reflections on Canterbury Museum’s repatriation to the Pacific Northwest in 2018.

In the final session the group discussed how to go about identifying Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and other objects of cultural patrimony in museum collections and what specific things we should be looking for; understanding if these items have any specific care and storage needs that museums should be considerate of; identifying what correct language and terminology we should be using; and advice for how a New Zealand museum go about navigating a repatriation of this kind, including how to identify the correct people to work with.

Ngākahu Wānanga

11-12 August 2022, Otago Museum and Otago University

Ngākahu presented this 2-day wānanga (workshop) in partnership with Otago Museum and Otago University for members of the NZ Repatriation Research Network. This event was a chance to meet together kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) again after a long period of working online.

The Network meeting was followed by full programme of talks by Otago University and Otago Museum experts relating to how might different scientific techniques be applied to the repatriation process, animal bone identification, human anatomy, identifying burial context, advice for building your own comparative bone collection for completing identifications, tips for museum provenance research and current research happening in this space.

DNA and isotope research

This talk by Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith was an opportunity to understand more about how ancient and modern DNA methods as well as isotopic sampling techniques can answer a range of questions about the past and how these technologies may support with provenance research.

Animal bone identification with Southern Pacific Archaeological Research

With many museum-held human remains coming from archaeological assemblages, distinguishing animal bone from human is important to part of ensuring they are cared for appropriately. Senior Laboratory Analyst Dr Monica Tromp and Archaeologist Tristan Russell from Southern Pacific Archaeological Research gave a presentation covering the basics of animal bone identification and faunal analysis followed by a practical, hands on session.

Tour of the W.D Trotter Anatomy Museum, University of Otago

In this session museum Curator Christopher Smith hosted a tour of the W.D Trotter Anatomy Museum. The Anatomy Museum at University of Otago was established in 1875, four years after the university itself was founded. The museum holds a large collection of over 3,000 anatomical models for research and learning, some of which date back to the late 1800s. This was an opportunity to learn more about the purpose of the retention of such models and the history of collecting practices by medical schools.

The role of bioarcheology in the repatriation process

Bioarchaeologists use their expertise in skeletal analysis to paint a picture of how tūpuna (ancestors) might have lived. Certain skeletal markers can provide us with information about an individual’s basic characteristics such as age, sex and stature estimation, any distinguishing pathology and minimum number of individuals. In this workshop Professor Hallie Buckley lead a refresher in human anatomy, help with identifying indicators of antiquity and originating context.

Building your own comparative bone collection

In this session Otago Museum Natural Science Curators Emma Burns and Kane Fleury gave their advice for building your own comparative bone collection for completing identifications. They covered different aspects of making the decision to collect animal skeletal material, how to source material and the permits and permissions involved, cleaning and care, identifying which different animals and bones that might be helpful to be part of your collection and how to arrange visits to view museum comparative collections.

Provenance research

The very fragmentary nature of the archival record can make establishing provenance challenging. In this session Otago Museum Honorary Curator Science History Dr Rosi Crane shared her secret hacks and tricks for provenance research.

Te Auraki

In this session Dr Rebecca Kinaston shared her experiences as a Forensic Anthropologist for Te Auraki (The Return), a New Zealand Defence Force operation that successfully repatriated 36 soldiers who died overseas between 1955 and 1971. She will also discuss her work with Waikato-Tainui, which utilised isotope analysis of kōiwi tangata that found during the construction of the Hamilton Expressway to suggest diet and mobility patterns.

Scanning for Justice: The impact of 3D visualisation of skeletal trauma in Aotearoa New Zealand courts

Principal Investigator Dr Angela Clark will shared the results of her University of Otago Research Grant which investigates whether it is legally, socially, and culturally appropriate to replicate and 3D print human remains to be used as physical evidence in court.  

Vernon CMS training for care of sensitive records

29 June 2022, via zoom

Human remains have a unique status and should be treated with the highest standards of collections management whilst in your institutions care. In this Ngākahu facilitated training session, Paul Rowe (CEO/Director of Vernon Systems) demonstrated how to use Vernon CMS to care for sensitive records, specifically human remains and their associated burial goods.

Media training: Theory, techniques and approaches

28 February 2022, via Zoom

The topic of repatriation of human remains can attract great public and media attention. Press coverage can show repatriation in a positive light, but engaging with the media can also feel intimidating. Taking a prepared approach can ensure that this mahi (work) is handled in a sensitive and respectful way. This workshop focused on building participant’s skill and confidence in dealing with the media with talks from Chris Wikaira (BRG Communications) and Kate Camp (Head of Marketing and Communications, Te Papa). Topics covered included understanding the New Zealand media landscape, interview techniques and examples of different types of media approaches.

Physical care and storage of kōiwi tangata

9 July, 2021 Canterbury Museum

As we move into a new phase of museology and repatriation is becoming part of our ‘business as usual’, museum staff are interacting more frequently with the kōiwi tangata (human remains) held in their collections. This workshop was focused on the physical aspects of care and storage of the tūpuna (ancestors). It included guidance on conservation, condition reporting, nesting, boxing, labelling, wāhi tapu (a restricted space within a museum specifically for human remains) and tikanga (protocols).

Provenance Research Workshop

31st March 2021, Te Papa

Provenance research is an essential part of museological practice, and even more so when it comes to repatriation, whether kōiwi tangata (human remains) or taonga (objects). This workshop has been designed to aid museums in undertaking provenance research of kōiwi tangata held within their institutions. The aim of the workshop is to provide researcher with tools to undergo this type of in depth research to enable ancestors to return to their descendants and to the whenua from which they were taken.

Knowing your obligations: Laws, Policies and International Considerations in the Repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains
13–14 July 2020, via Zoom

With the repatriation of ancestral human remains becoming increasingly normalised throughout museums in Aotearoa, it is important for us become aware of and understand what our obligations are when planning these returns.

The process of repatriation can range from being relatively straight forward, to requiring a significant amount of planning and communication with several organisations and government departments in Aotearoa and further afield.

The purpose of this workshop is to provide museums with the necessary tools and information needed to repatriate ancestral remains, back to their iwi, hapū, whānau and communities of origin.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Customs, Heritage New Zealand, the New Zealand Police and Air New Zealand have been brought together to provide information relating to the movement of ancestral remains through and out of Aotearoa.

Audio Recordings for workshop:

Further information provided by:

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage:

Pouhere Taonga Heritage New Zealand:

Te Arikirangi Mamaku (Karanga Aotearoa Repatriation Programme):

Iwi Engagement Workshop

31st January 2020, Waikato Museum

Establishing relationships with iwi, hapū and whānau is an important part of museological practice here in Aotearoa New Zealand. Museums have an obligation to recognise the “relationship established by Te Tiriti o Waitangi” and “accept that the principles of tino rangatiratanga apply to many aspects of museum and art gallery work”.

Creating meaningful relationships with local tangata whenua or iwi and hapū further afield can sometimes feel like unknown territory. The purpose if this workshop is to provide museum staff with a better understanding of the importance of these relationships; why museums should engage with iwi and hapū; and how iwi and hapū would like these relationships to be developed.

This workshop aims to provide museum staff with some helpful tools to engage, re-establish, and advance mutually beneficial relationships with iwi Māori.

Bone Identification Workshop

5th November 2019, Nelson Provincial Museum

This workshop was taken by Professor Hallie Buckley and Stacey Ward (Department of Anatomy, Otago Museum). The purpose of the workshop was to provide museum staff with an introduction to distinguishing human from non-human and infant human remains, as well as Māori/Moriori remains from non-Māori/Moriori remains.

For further information please contact natserv@tepapa.govt.nz