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The BookKo Tawa: Ancestors of New Zealand - by Paul Tapsell; photography by Krzysztof Pfeiffer and guest contributions from Ron Crosby, Jade Baker, Roger Neich and Merata Kawharu. Publisher: David Bateman Ltd, Auckland. Design: Alan Deare/Inhouse Design, Auckland. The following is the forward to the much anticipated book: Ko Tawa is due for release November 2005. It gives in depth accounts of each of the 28 exhibited taonga plus a number of chapters describing Mair and the taonga from differing perspectives, not least the role Ngati Whatua continue to play in caring for these ancestors while they rest on their mana whenua (customary lands). E te paenga hira o Tawa, tena koe. Gilbert Mair or ‘Tawa’ was a major figure in New Zealand’s colonial era. Based in the central North Island, he was at the centre of a network of relationships, both military and Maori. In addition to his own private acquisitions Maori respect and affection for Mair led to his being presented with a number of tribal artifacts or taonga; and all now, a century later, have become redolent of ancestral associations for the descendants of the original owners. Mair was careful in preserving an account of the history and circumstances surrounding many of the taonga in his collection so that taonga and narrative illuminate each other. While the collection is, of itself, random it is Mair who provides the catalyst for its ethnographic interpretation and for determining its wider significance. Since the collection is maintained in the Auckland Museum it has further, quite particular significance: that of providing a growing number of Auckland domiciled members of central North Island tribes with an opportunity to revisit their identities and to rekindle ties. In the view of the Taumata-a-Iwi (Auckland Museum’s Maori Advisory Committee) the collection serves well to link the past to the present and the twin streams of New Zealand’s cultural heritage. Heoi ano ma Te Atua ano tatou e manaaki e tiaki Hugh Kawharu
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