Back Porch Taniwha

SHOWING ON THE BACK PORCH FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2023!

Celebrate Māori Myths & Legends Month with Taniwha, your Tui & Tama Club mascot friend!

For the month of October we are excited to offer activities that celebrate Māori Myths & Legends month at the Te Awamutu Museum – Education & Research Centre.

Colour-in a Taniwha, cut it out and attach to the mythical wall landscape!

If you’re not a Tui & Tama Club member, you can sign up anytime for FREE!

Come on in during the week from 10.00am-4.00pm, Saturday and Public Holidays from 10am-2pm.

Don’t forget to pick up your Taniwha sticker!

On display from 3oth September – 31st October 2023

Rākau Whakapapa

SHOWING ON THE BACK PORCH FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2023 – WHAKAPAPA WITH HUHU!

Celebrate Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori Month with Huhu, your Tui & Tama Club mascot friend!

For the month of September we are excited to offer an activity that celebrates whānau through whakapapa for Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori month at the Te Awamutu Museum – Education & Research Centre.

Whakapapa – genealogy is a way of connecting ourselves with whānau members of all ages. You can start with yourself and name your parents, grandparents on both sides and great-grandparents on both sides, etc! When you know your whakapapa, you know where you come from, understand your special traits and how big or small your extended whānau is.

Whakapapa can be utilised to understand what your mountain, river, pā and whānau names come from. Join in the fun by participating in our whakapapa interactive on the Back Porch. Colour-in and write your name on Huhu, then attach to the whakapapa rākau in the lower gallery!

Colour-in more than one huhu with your whānau members and make an extra special whakapapa on the tree! Looking forward to seeing you all here soon!

On display from 1st – 3oth September 2023!

Ancestry Exhibit

Welcome to Family History Month – August with your host Ruru!

On the Back Porch Gallery you’ll find a big family tree waiting for you to add your name to a leaf and attach to the tree! Get your whole family involved and create your family tree!

Don’t forget to do all the Family History activities this month of August to receive your Ruru mascot sticker to add to your Tui & Tama Activity Passport!

Matariki Star Constellation

SHOWING ON THE BACK PORCH FOR JULY 2023 – MATARIKI STAR CONSTELLATION

Join in with Kākāpō and friends to celebrate Matariki 2023!

All you have to do is write your name on a star and add it to this Matariki Constellation!

Come on in and learn more about our special Aotearoa holiday coming up 14th July 2023!

Korowai

Create a colourful Kākahu – Māori Cloak!

The Back Porch Gallery is showcasing an interactive kākahu activity where you get to choose a feather, write your name on it and attach it to the traditional kākahu illustration on the wall. The image above is harakeke (flax) leaf blades that can be harvested, hand processed then twisted to make muka – the fibre strands, handwoven aho (weft) and whenu (warp) of a kākahu.

The image to the right is an example of a kākahu from the Museum collection made from contemporary materials and feathers.

Kākahu feathered cloak by Pare Hughes from the Te Awamutu Museum Collection: #12615

Pekapeka in Aotearoa New Zealand

Did you know?

Aotearoa New Zealand has two living species of endemic bats, found here in Aotearoa. The short-tailed pekapeka is endangered, at risk and declining. The long-tailed pekapeka is also endangered and classified as nationally vulnerable. A third species; the greater short-tailed bat is thought to be extinct. Pekapeka are known to habitat in the Waipā, however, with Waikato undergoing rapid development bat habitats are decreasing due to loss of roost trees, increase in street lighting and an increase in predators like domestic cats.

Find out more information on these amazing mammals in the display on the Back Porch Gallery. Lots of information, images and activities. Part of this exhibition is in collaboration with local school Pekapekarau. As part of their learning about the local curriculum, they connection with Project Echo to find out more about pekapeka and the original name of the school which led to a hui with local Māori that signalled a change their school name to Pekapekarau – multitude of bats! We have some great artwork from pupils and some amazing videos showcasing pupils stories about pekapeka.

On display from October 2022 – January 2023.