The items on display, be they carved, woven or otherwise, provide descendants with tangible links to their whakapapa. Personal stories and accounts accompany the taonga, and the wairua (spirituality) of taonga Māori is joyously acknowledged.
There are a number of original full-size buildings in this gallery including Hotunui, the meeting house that was originally a wedding gift from Ngāti Awa in the eastern Bay of Plenty to Ngāti Maru in Thames. Te Toki ā Tāpiri, the last great war canoe used in battle and carved from a giant totara tree, takes pride of place. These are surrounded by a host of everyday objects once used for living, hunting and fishing to provide a holistic presentation of Māori life in Aotearoa before the arrival of the Pākehā.
Other masterpieces include a unique gateway carving sourced originally from Lake Tangonge, near Kaitaia. Dating from the 12th to 14th centuries, it is considered to be the earliest surviving Māori carving in the world. Te Rangitakaroro, from Lake Okataina, is a superb example of a traditional gateway paying homage to an ancestor. An impressive collection of fibrework is also on display including early dogskin cloaks, elegant kaitaka, and striking feather cloaks and other woven articles. Even hunting and fishing materials are examined to show the level of artistry employed in these items of everyday use.