Tupuna Mā’ohi ka Ora, French Polynesia

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

A visual representation of just a sample of the work undertaken on the French Polynesian Collection, as guided by knowledge holders from that community.

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Pacific Collection Access Project

In 2016 Auckland Museum embarked on a pioneering project to open its collections in new and meaningful ways. It imagined into being, a better way to approach the cataloguing of the Pacific collection, which had Pacific communities, and Pacific world-views at its heart.

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

The Pacific Collection Access Project (PCAP) is an ambitious endeavour to catalogue the collections of 13 Pacific Island Nations to a richer, more meaningful standard, that better represents the indigenous identity of the objects online.

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

This story is a visual representation of just a sample of the work undertaken on the French Polynesian Collection, as guided by knowledge holders from that community. We offer sincere gratitude to the great insight and generosity of those knowledge holders. Mauruuru roa

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hoe (Ceremonial paddle) Austral Islands

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Aviti (Bonito fishing lure), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Aviti (Bonito Fishing Hook and Lure) Tahiti

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hei (Neck ornament), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hei (Neck ornament) Tahiti

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

To'i (Hafted adze), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

To'i (Hafted Adze) Tahiti

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Taupo'o (Hat), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Taupo'o (Hat) Tahiti

Pare (Hat), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Taupo'o (Hat) Tahiti

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Matau (One piece pearl shell fish hook), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Matau (Pearl shell fish hook) Tahiti

Penu (Coral pounder), unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Penu (Pounder) Tahiti

Matau (One piece pearl shell hook), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hei (Neck ornament), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hei (Neck ornament) Tahiti

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

More (Waist garment), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

More (Waist Garment) Tahiti

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Tiataro (Canoe anchor), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Penu (Coral Pounder) Tahiti

Hei (Neck ornament), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hei (Neck Ornament) Tahiti

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

More (Waist garment), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

More (Waist garment) Tahiti

More (Waist garment), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

More (Dress) Tahiti

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Tapuvae (Stilt step), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Tapuvai (Stilt step) Marquesas

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ti'i (Carved wooden ancestral figure), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ti'i (Ancestral figure) Marquesas

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Tapuvae (Stilt step), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Tapuvae (Stilt step) Marquesas

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hakakai (Ear ornament), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hakakai (Ear ornament) Marquesas

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

U;u (Ceremonial club) Marquesas

U'u (Ceremonial club), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Pahu (Drum) Marquesas

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Aū’a (Bowl), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Aū'a (Bowl) Marquesas

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Va'a (Model of a single hull canoe), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Va'a (Model Canoe) Marquesas

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ke'a tuki (Stone pounder), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ke'a tuki (Stone Pounder) Marquesas

O'e no te tama'i (Spear point), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

O'e no te tama'i (Ceremonial spear point) Austral Islands

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ahu (Carved ceremonial Ceremonial Scoop), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ahu (Ceremonial scoop) Austral Islands

From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Hoe (Carved ceremonial paddle), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Penu (Coral pounder), Unknown, From the collection of: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

The Pacific Collection Access Project - French Polynesia

Credits: Story

Our deepest gratitude and acknowledgement to the Cultural Knowledge Holders who have helped to restore the linguistic and cultural context of the remarkable collections.

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira