New Exhibition

Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary is excited to welcome a new exhibition within Te Whare Hononga exploring the community’s bi-cultural history. Visitors can also now explore the wider site with QR-coded posts, and plinths made from timber and Cathedral stone, which mark out places of interest and assist in self-guided tours.

A large-scale copy of the Raukawa Moana Treaty Sheet now on display in Te Whare Hononga was signed by many rangatira from Taranaki and holds special significance for the region. The impact of seeing the Treaty on a large scale brings history to life. “It's exciting for visitors to find the signatures of those they are connected to. Hopefully, the experience of seeing our Treaty in a new way will inspire more people to learn about Te Tiriti and our incredible shared history”, says Taranaki Cathedral Dean / Manuhautū, Jay Ruka. A new exhibition touchscreen installed alongside the Treaty sheet tells its story and visitors can explore the stories behind the names of key local signatories.

Four videos are now available on the large main screen in Te Whare. Along with the first exhibition’s animated history video, added is a welcome by Ngāti te Whiti to the region which was made with Venture Taranaki. The Sir Paul Reeves Centre / Te Manu Hononga has partnered with the National Library to include the journey of the nine Treaty sheets and a dynamic map visualising Māori land loss. Another exciting instalment is a large-format bilingual comic book based on the original animated video. It is a miniature portion of the Taranaki story told in a graphic novel style for young and old to explore in a new way.

Also now on display are gifts from Ngāti Hauā received at the opening of Te Whare Hononga: a ceremonial piau (tomahawk) and kāheru (large wooden spade) pointing to the Waikato rangatira graves on the west corner of the site.

The Taranaki Anglican Trust Board gratefully acknowledges the support of Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, which administered a $300,000 Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) grant towards this exhibition. This funding draws from a larger $3 million PGF grant to construct Te Whare Hononga and to provide a permanent showcase of stories and information for visitors to understand the site's national significance in the New Zealand Land Wars and colonial impacts on tangata whenua.

Media Contact:

Frances Brown, Kaihautū Rauemi / Operation Manager frances@taranakicathedral.nz / (06) 758 3111 www.taranakicathedral.nz/tewhare

Additional information:

Te Whare Hononga is a whare wānanga / education space, a creative partnership between Ngāti Te Whiti and Taranaki Cathedral and a part of The Sir Paul Reeves / Te Manu Hononga educational centre of excellence, focusing on peace and reconciliation, conflict resolution, and restorative justice.

Visit Te Whare Hononga at 37 Vivian Street, New Plymouth. Open free to the public and school visits Monday- Friday 9am-3pm. Parking available. Private bookings and tours also available on request.

The Ngāti Hauā gifts: the piau (tomahawk) is called ‘Hāpai Ingoa’, meaning ‘to lift up the name (of Ngāti Hauā)’. These are the words Te Wetini Taiporutu (who is buried on the Cathedral grounds alongside five other Waikato rangatira) cried at the battle of Mahoetahi when the warriors ran out of ammunition. The kāheru matarau (many pointed spade) symbolises a turn from war to peace, from warfare to gardening. “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” Isaiah 2:4