Te Koanga o Rehua

The installation of Te Koanga o Rehua was recently completed, with an early morning ceremony in the Museum to welcome this important taonga back to Whanganui. Te Koanga o Rehua now stands proudly in the Museum’s atrium space. Watch the story of its significance as told by Eruera Rerekura of Te Reo o Te Uru.

Ku, hoki mai tētehi tupuna whakairo ki Te Awa Tupua o Whanganui.
Ko Te Koanga o Rehua tēnei.motoi kura e kōrerotia nei. I tū te taonga nei ki uta ki Pipiriki i ngā rā ki tua.
Nō te rangi nei i rumemene ai āna uri ki te whakatau i a ia ki ūkaipō otira i tēnei wā kei te whare pupuru taonga o Whanganui.
E whai ake nei ko Eruera Rerekura me ngā whakamārama.

The taonga which once stood as a memorial to the chief Te Mahutu in Pipiriki up the Whanganui River was plundered during a siege in 1865. It eventually came into the possession of Te Papa Tongarewa but was kept in storage for decades. For the last 50 years Ngāti Kurawhatia kaumatua Don Robinson and other elders who have since passed on have being negotiating with Te Papa to get Te Koanga o Rehua back home.

At an emotional ceremony recently, Ngāti Kurawhatia, Tamahaki and Tamakana descendants along with the descendants of Te Mahutu and wider Whanganui iwi welcomed the taonga back home.