Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 8, 1 August 2020 — Cloak and Helmet Gifted to Gaptain Cook is Permanently Returned to Hawai'i [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Cloak and Helmet Gifted to Gaptain Cook is Permanently Returned to Hawai'i

By Melanie Y. Ide, Bishop Museum President and CE0 An 'ahu 'ula (feather eloak) and mahiole (feather helmet) gifted to Captain Cook in 1779 have been permanently returned to Hawai'i by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. These cherished items were gifts from Hawaiian Chief Kalani'ōpu'u to Captain James Cook and have been in Te Papa's collection since being gifted to the museum in 1912. In March 2016, the items returned to Hawai'i as a longterm loan to Bishop Museum. In July it was confirmed that the 'ahu 'ula and mahiole will remain in Hawai'i in perpetuity, and held in trust for the people of Hawai'i by the Museum. This historic repatriation is the result of a partnership between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. It is also supported by the descendants of ' Lord St. Oswald, who donated the items to New Zealand' s Dominion ^ I Museum in 1912.

Dr. Arapata Hakiwai, Kaihautū (Māori co-leader) of Te Papa, said it was an honor to be able to return these taonga permanently to the people of Hawai'i. "These priceless treasures have so mueh to tell us about our shared Paeihe history. We are honored to be able to return them home, to reconnect them with their land and thei people," said Hakiwai.

"Woven into these taonga is the story of our Paeihe history, with all its beauty, challenges and

complexity," Hakiwai continued. "When I see these treasures, I'm reminded about the whakatauki or proverb, 'He Toi Whakairo, He Mana Tangata: Where there is artistic excellenee, there is human dignity.' Te Papa was founded on the piineiple of Mana Taonga, whieh recognizes the deep eonneetions of taonga to their source communities. Returning these taonga to Hawai'i is a powerful example of that piineiple in XX. action."

"For nearly 250 years, these mea makamae (cultural treasures) have been abroad, illustrating the amazing story of our kūpuna and their superlative craftsmanship," said OHA CEO Dr. Sylvia Hussey. "We were honored to be part of the effort to permanently return these beloved items home, where they will continue to inspire future generations of Native Hawaiians. We extend a warm mahalo to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Bishop Museum, former OHA CEO Kamana'opono Crabbe, and to all of those, past and present, who made this possible." After more than a century in Te Papa's care, Bishop N , Museum is humbled to accept the kuleana of caring for the

'ahu 'ula and mahiole of Kalani'ōpu'u. Together with OHA and members of our community, we have witnessed these precious pieces of our cultural W' ■ heritage return home. With their extraordi9Kfe». nary presence, they give the people of

Hawai'i a tangible connection to the past, and to ancestors whose ■mana remains strongly rooted. The impact of this gift will be ' > felt for generations, and we will " honor Te Papa's inspirational act of leadership and generosity with our commitment to strengthen the kinship between our peoples and institutions. We offer our deepest

.'/ gratitude and aloha to our friends in Aotearoa and look forward to all that we will do together as a Paeihe eommunity. ■ īhe 'ahu 'ula is made wilh the feathers of more ihan 20,000 birds ■ Photo: Courtesy of Te Papa