Our New Online Exhibition: Te Pūtaketanga o Ngā Taonga Kōrero

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision has announced the launch of the first of four new online exhibitions –Te Pūtaketanga o Ngā Taonga Kōrero.

Ngā Taonga Kōrero is a collection of sound recordings of tūpuna made between the 1930s and the 1980s and is a unique storehouse of kupu and mita spanning iwi throughout Aotearoa. It provides a treasury of language resources, mostly spoken by people whose voices are now lost to us, including rangatira such as Sir Apirana Ngata. The historic recordings that form the basis for Ngā Taonga Kōrero were often broadcast and recorded at the request of Sir Apirana – he was a presence at nearly every Māori event recorded through the 1930s and 1940s and can be heard speaking at pōwhiri, performing in haka and translating whaikōrero into English for Pākehā guests.

Ngā Taonga Pou Ārahi, Honiana Love says: “By showcasing the recordings of Ngā Taonga Kōrero, we hope the voices of Sir Apirana, Te Puea Hērangi, King Korokī and many others will inspire more New Zealanders to embrace te kounga o te reo through the rich vocabulary that is encountered, and the important nuances that can be captured in the spoken word”.

RNZ Head of News, Carol Hirschfeld says: “RNZ is delighted to be associated with such an inspiring project. These precious early recordings truly are taonga passed down and revived for the benefit of all in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Te Pūtaketanga o Ngā Taonga Kōrero will be live on our website on Monday, 11 September 2017. The other three exhibitions will be launched by June 2018.

Image Credits:
Black and white image of Tūrongo House
Frame Grab: F4973 Mana Waka. Tūrangawaewae Marae Trustees, Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision.
Colour image of Tūrangawaewae Marae, Ngāruawāhia sourced from http://salmondreed.co.nz/marae/

This exhibition is possible through the support of the following organisations:

Radio New Zealand – Tūrangawaewae Marae – Archive of Māori & Pacific Music