ABSTRACT
Te Papa’s Karanga Aotearoa Repatriation Programme (KARP) has been in existence since 2003; however New Zealand’s National Museum has been involved in repatriation since the 1990s. Throughout this period repatriation in Aotearoa New Zealand has been both led by and developed for Māori and Moriori. From the first international repatriations from Europe to the creation of a wāhi tapu (sacred space) within the museum and the development of a government repatriation policy, concepts of kaitiakitanga (or guardianship and care) and rangahau (research) of our Ancestors’ Remains have been at the forefront of Māori drivers for the return of tūpuna (Ancestors) Māori and Moriori back to their descendant communities. This chapter will describe the development of the KARP; explore how Te Papa cares for ancestral remains physically, culturally, as well as spiritually; and examine the importance of collaborating with communities as part of the provenance research process.
