New Zealand’s Ngati Awa Maori is looking to set up a museum in the North Island town of Whakatane dedicated to the tribe’s history.

The tribal museum would feature restored carvings from Mataatua Wharenui – New Zealand’s only repatriated and most visited Maori meeting house – including two significant sets of carvings depicting twins that can currently be seen at the front of the house. These carvings had been taken from New Zealand around 130 years ago, spending 70 years overseas before being returned in 2011. Once the original carvings have been installed at the museum, the tribe plans to traditionally carve new statues to replace them.

In addition to the carvings, the museum will tell the rich history of the Ngati Awa, which currently has around 15,000 members and dates back to the 13th century when the very first tribe first settled in New Zealand.

Following the announcement of the plans, deputy chair of the Ngati Awa, Pouroto Ngaropo, said that it wanted to build the museum so the original ancient carving could be studied and be admired as a taonga (treasure), connecting the tribe to the past but also remaining there for future generations to see.

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