A tour with Thelma Karaitiana, Pou Tikanga, Rongowhakaata.
We are thrilled to offer you the opportunity to meet Thelma Karaitana, Te Papa’s Rongowhakaata iwi representative. Thelma will share with you the origins of this dramatic and beautiful exhibition, Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow, how it was developed and what it means to the Rongowhakaata iwi.
At the heart of the exhibition is the oldest surviving carved meeting house in the world, Te Hau ki Tūranga, a high point of Rongowhakaata creative expression. This renowned whare whakairo is a physical record of their histories, and continues today to be the gathering place for Rongowhakaata as it was for their ancestors. This is where we will begin our tour. We will hear how the land, stories and ancestors weave together to form the identity of Rongowhakaata.
(NB: You will need to remove your shoes to enter the meeting house.)