Inano Taripo-Walter (left) and Tuatai Piniata view the vaka at the Pacific Cultures exhibit at Tūhura Otago Museum.
Pacific postgraduate students and members of the Kūki 'Āirani (Cook Islands) community recently came together to share stories and kai as they viewed the taonga of their ancestors.
The ‘Piri’anga Toto: Blood Connections Through Objects’ event was held at Tūhura Otago Museum during Cook Islands Language Week to form connections and promote engagement between the University, the Museum and Dunedin’s Pacific communities.
Postgraduate tauira and members of the Cook Islands community were invited for a tour of the Pacific Cultures exhibit and then a private viewing of Kūki ‘Āirani cultural objects from the museum’s collection.
Tauira and Cook Islands community members view Kūki ‘Āirani cultural objects from the museum’s collection.
The event was organised by Pacific Postgraduate Coordinator at the Graduate Research School and PhD student Inano Tapiro-Walter who says her hope is that attendees left with a deeper understanding of the significance of these cultural objects.
“I hope attendees got a chance to see that there is so much more the Museum has to offer than what is currently on display.
“Our cultural objects are so important in understanding who we are.”
Local Pacific communities play a big role in the journeys of Otago’s Pacific students, Inano says.
“Involving Pacific communities with events hosted by the University forms an important part of relationship-building between the two.
“Our communities hold so much valuable knowledge and information that can make a real difference to the way we view the world,” she says.
Some attendees were able to reconnect with the treasures of their ancestors at the event, some of which were known artifacts to guests.
“The highlight for me was listening to the elders in our community offer more knowledge about each item, including the collection staff who didn't know where some of the items came from or what they were used for,” Inano says.
“For the students that attended, I hope they were able to learn a little bit more about Cook Island culture and how meanings, customs and material objects have changed over the years.”