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

For the month of September we are excited to display information on one of our significant objects in the collection – Te Hokioi the Printing Press, in celebration of Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori month at the Te Awamutu Museum – Education & Research Centre.

The printing press Te Hokioi has an incredible story that spans over 200 years, a journey that took nearly 1800kms, crossing more than three seas and two oceans, and was used by Māori as a way to publish propaganda about the crown’s intention within Aotearoa New Zealand in te reo Māori before the Waikato Wars 1863!

It is a local story with connections to the Emperor of Austria, Franz Josef. Two Māori men took on an adventure that would ultimately undertake vocational training in the print industry and merge into European society. However the legacy of the printing press that was gifted to the two men, took on another perspective as it was welcomed into the heart of the Kīngitanga. The press quickly became a weapon utilised by Māori as a way to publish their opinions on how the crown was making headway into colonising the upper part of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The publication – Te Hokioi e Rere Atu Na (The Soaring War Bird) soon became an outlet for Māori to voice their opposition of crown forces making moves around the Waikato.

This small display focuses on the publication – who were the main players, what was it used for, and how it started a movement in Māori media to this day!

To celebrate this story for the month of September there will be creative activities involving – learn how to create a print using our specially hand-made printing press and how to design your own mono print!

On display from 1st – 3oth September 2023!

CELEBRATE FAMILY HISTORY MONTH WITH RURU, YOUR TUI & TAMA CLUB MASCOT FRIEND!

For the month of August we have activities, exhibitions and crafty arty workshops supporting whakawhanaungatanga – relationship connections with family. To support our community to start, refresh or research family connections we have a FREE Ancestry Library subscription available for visitors to use at the Te Awamutu Museum – Education & Research Centre at 55 Rickit Road, Te Awamutu.

When you first delve into Ancestry.com, the world’s largest subscription collection of genealogy databases, it can be a bit mind-boggling. After all, Ancestry.com encompasses thousands of collections with more than 30 billion historical records at last count. Subscribers can access all available US census records, from 1790 through to 1950 census, along with many Canadian, English and Welsh enumerations.

In addition, the centre is offering a FREE self scanning archival digitisation service. Researchers. avid historians, or collectors can book in time to use an overhead and flatbed scanner. The overhead scanner is great for hand written diaries, scapbooks and legal documents, whilst the flatbed scanner can digitise film negatives, slides and letters.

During the month of August centre staff are offering one-on-one overview on how to use Ancestry and give you a few tips on what you can achieve with your research. These one hour slots are bookable on Tuesday or Thursday between 10am-12pm by either phoning the centre on 07 872 0085 or emailing museum@waipadc.govt.nz. Please book quickly as these bookings will fill up.

Don’t worry, these two amazing FREE services will continue as long as the community uses it.

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in the east midwinter and heralds in the start of Te Tau Hou, the Māori New Year!

Iwi across Aotearoa understand and celebrate Matariki in their special ways, for example some iwi acknowledge seven and some nine stars. Every iwi is unique in its rituals, ceremonies and celebrations. The things we do similarly around the time of Matariki is to prepare mara kai, plant trees, share kai, and be together to remember loved ones passed. 

In 2022, Matariki became an official public holiday in Aotearoa. Te Sure mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki 2022 – Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022 came into effect in April 2022. It is the first public holiday in Aotearoa to recognise te ao Māori!

Mānawatia a Matariki website was launched to share kōrero about this special time, events happening nationally, stories, news and resources. It’s a great place to get started on how to celebrate Matariki. The theme for 2023 is ‘Matariki Kāinga Hokia – Matariki calls you home. It is encouraged to return to your whānau and their people, wherever and whoever that might be to journey back home and celebrate, feast and be with whānau and friends.

It is also underpinned with an important environmental message – re-connect with your maunga, awa, moana and whenua. It is our responsibility to take care of the places we all call home.

Here in the Waikato most iwi acknowledge seven stars – Matariki, Waitī, Waitā, Waipun-a-rangi, Tupuānuku and Ururangi. Each has their own specific attribute:

Matariki – signifies reflection, hope, our connection to te taiao the environment. It highlights the health and well-being of us all.

Waitī – associated with all freshwater like awa, roto, puna, etc and the kai sources that are sustained by them.

Waitā – associated with te moananui-a-kiwa the ocean and the food sources within it.

Waipuna-ā-rangi – the tear of Rangi – the rain.

Tupuānuku – connects us with mara kai – everything that is grown in the soil to be harvested or gathered.

Ururangi – connects us to the winds.

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