Te Paepae o Te Rātū: He whāinga takahanga waewae nō tuawhakarere

Abstract

This internship project focuses on establishing the provenance of Rongowhakaata taonga collected by Lt. James Cook and the crew of the HMS Bark Endeavour during its journey of discovery from 1768-1771. The project presents evidence to support Rongowhakaata's claims to taonga, specifically a set of hoe kōwhaiwhai (painted paddles) presented to Cook and the Endeavour crew. It reveals a significant miscarriage of due diligence and failure to consult or engage with Rongowhakaata in this matter, resulting in a false narrative and exclusionary orthodox perspective. The project involves determining the provenance of taonga, locating Rongowhakaata ancestors who were present during the collision, and reconciling the events of the Cook collision with the maramataka lunar calendar. Through textual analysis and comparison of primary, secondary, and tertiary literary sources, the project aims to establish Rongowhakaata's narrative and the extent to which the iwi was involved during Cook's arrival. The project contributes to the decolonization of time and knowledge by locating the events of the Cook collision within the maramataka lunar calendar; utilising months recorded by Tairāwhiti tohunga for 1769.</p