For Te Hokinga Mai o Mō Tātou: The Ngāi Tahu Whānui exhibition.

The Hokinga Mai dawn ceremony, held at Canterbury Museum, marked the return home of the Mō Tātou exhibition from Te Papa. The exhibition is accompanied by Mō Kā Uri, showcasing both Ngāi Tahu taonga and contemporary work by leading Ngāi Tahu artists. It celebrates past and present Ngāi Tahu culture, with a focus on the Waitaha (Canterbury) and Tai Poutini (West Coast) regions.

The dawn opening was conducted by senior local kaumatua (tribal elders) and kaikarakia (prayer-leaders). Said Human Rights Commissioner Richard Tankersley, himself of Kai Tahu, Kati Mamoe and Waitaha descent, “It was a fine acknowledgement of the arrival home of our treasures, and a great opportunity for many people from a broad spectrum of the community to join with takata whenua in celebrating our identity, our history and our place in the community.”

Since the exhibition opened at Te Papa in 2006, over one million people have viewed and experienced the taonga. Now accompanied by Mō Kā Uri, it is the largest exhibition of Ngāi Tahu arts to date: “For the first time, more than 200 objects of cultural importance spanning more than 600 years of Southern Māori tradition and lifestyle will be on display.”

The exhibitions will run until 20 June 2010, accompanied by a range of programmes and events.