E Hina e! E Hine e! Mana Wāhine Māori/Maoli of Past, Present and Future

E Hina e! E Hine e! explores the contemporary relevance of female Māori and Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) akua/atua (ancestors). Focusing on our profound connections, and told through contemporary and traditional taonga (treasures), oratory, and visual storytelling, this exhibition celebrates the female essence.

We honour ngā atua/akua wāhine, the divine feminine, embodied in whenua/ʻāina (land), moana (ocean), wai (water), and ngāi tipu, ngāi kiirehe (flora and fauna), to emphasize the importance of mana wāhine from time immemorial. Featuring female voices (kōrero/moʻolelo) of wāhine whom anthropologists and historians omitted from mainstream texts and resources, we seek to restore gender complementarity and balance. The reclamation of the centrality of wāhine/women is timely, because presenting (her) stories that manifest in our natural environment illuminates a pathway toward a more sustainable future, imbued with relationship. 

Developed by Dr Nālani Wilson-Hokowhitu (Kanaka Maoli), Dr Aroha Yates-Smith (Te Arawa, Tainui, Horouta, Takitimu, Matātua), and curator Poutiaki Whakataki Maree Mills (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), this exhibition draws from their research and collective commitment to hear, understand and act on these messages. The continuation of human life on this planet is, in their view, dependent upon it.

Location: 
Waikato Museum
1 Grantham Street, Hamilton

When: On now

Cost of admission: Free entry

Website:
waikatomuseum.co.nz/exhibitions-and-events/view/2145883308/e-hina-e-e-hine-e-mana-waahine-maaorimaoli-of-past-present-and-future
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Image Credit:
Courtesy of Lisa Reihana and Milford Galleries Dunedin