Kahungunu ka moe. . .  ka puta. . . Te Hononga Märeikura* : photographic portraits of Ngäti Kahungunu by Samuel Carnell 1870–1906 was opened with a formal Mäori ceremony in 9 March and was on show in the National Library Gallery until early June. 

*Kahungunu (eponymous ancestor) ka moe... (to marry, to dream) ka puta... (to be born) Te Hononga Märeikura (spiritual union of precious heirlooms) 

The exhibition featured portraits and histories of tipuna (ancestors) from the Kahungunu tribe, who come from the Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa regions located in the middle of the New Zealand's North Island. The images were selected from 275 photographs taken by Napier-based photographer Samuel Carnell. The photographs were gifted to the Alexander Turnbull Library in 1963. 
 

1. Paora Rerepu Photograph by Samuel Carnell (1870-1906), Alexander Turnbull Library, Ref. ¼-022028

Portrayed against a backdrop of Victorian studio props, and attired in a mixture of indigenous and European garb, the portraits tell a powerful visual story of the people who stood at the 19th-century interface of Mäori and Päkehä culture. 

The images of tipuna were placed within the context of Kahungunu genealogy by the exhibition's curators, who wove family linkages from their 19th-century ancestors back to Kahungunu and forward to the present day. These ancestral ties were further reinforced with taonga (treasures) relevant to tipuna represented in the exhibition. 

 The exhibition was an expanded version of a show that was held at the Hawke's Bay Exhibition Centre in Hastings between November 2000 and February 2001, and included links with Mäori from the Wellington region. It will travel to the Wairarapa region next year.  

 The exhibition was organised by the National Library Gallery in partnership with Ngäti Kahungunu Iwi Inc and the Hawke's Bay Cultural Trust. A lively programme of lectures and performance accompanied the exhibition. 

 
 
 

3. Huru Te Hiaro Photograph by Samuel Carnell (1870-1906), Alexander Turnbull Library,  Ref. ¼-022178

 
 
 
 
 

5. Raukura Te Totohuri Photograph by Samuel Carnell (1870-1906),  Alexander Turnbull Library  Ref. ¼-022032

 

For images in a printable size, please contact: 

Susan Bartel 
Public Relations Manager 
Alexander Turnbull Library 
Phone: 0-4-474 3119 
Fax: 0-4-474 3063 
Email: susan.bartel@natlib.govt.nz