Tangata O Le Moana: The Story Of Pacific People In New Zealand

OPENS 20 OCTOBER AT TE PAPA.
Tangata o le Moana: the Story of Pacific People in New Zealand opens at Te Papa on 20 October with a three day festival of Pacific festival featuring the best of Pacific, dance, film, workshops and hip-hop, proudly supported by New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT).

Tangata o le Moana tells the story of Pacific people, past and present, the contributions they have made to New Zealand and the impact New Zealand has had upon them and their cultures.

Featuring new research by Te Papa curators, visitors will see ancient vaka (canoes), old favourites such as Michel Tuffery’s Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000), fabulous jewellery and costumes, innovative interactives that let the visitor mix their own Pacific beats, or navigate across the Pacific ocean and a completely refurbished PlaNet Pasifika Discovery Centre.

Te Papa will be transformed by an exciting and vibrant three day festival to celebrate the opening ofTangata o le Moana from 11am on Saturday 20 October. The festival features performers from all over New Zealand including The Laughing Samoans, King Kapisi, Pauley Fuemana of OMC fame and Nesian Mystic.
Visitors will be able to join in with hula (with Sione’s Wedding star Maryjane McKibbin-Schwenke), drumming and ukulele workshops and see Pacific films in Soundings Theatre on Level 2.

On Te Papa’s Marae, Pacific mamas speak out about their experiences in New Zealand and The Rasta, The Rev, and The Rapper (Tigi Ness, Reverend Mua Strickson- Mua and Te Kupu) entertain with performance poetry while collection managers give a special insight into the Pacific collection at Te Papa.

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