Full Breakdown
Return of Maori Feather Cloak from Oxford to New Zealand
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A ceremony in Oxford marked the departure of a Maori feather cloak, known as a kahu kiwi, for its return to New Zealand. The cloak, a traditional taonga, was transferred to Ngati Rarua o Te Wairau Society, the Maori authority that now holds the item. The Homebound Project, a charity that funded the repatriation, described the cloak as “crying to come home.”
Background & Context
The kahu kiwi was one of several farewell gifts presented by Maori leaders in 1900 to Dr George Cleghorn, a physician who worked in New Zealand and advocated for Maori access to local hospitals. The cloak was displayed in the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford after Cleghorn’s widow loaned it in 1913. Over a century later, the museum agreed to return the artifact, citing the growing importance of returning cultural objects to their communities of origin.
Official Statements & Responses
Dr Lorraine Eade, chair of Ngati Rarua o Te Wairau Society, said the cloak’s significance is “beyond measure” and that its return offers an opportunity to acknowledge Dr Cleghorn’s work for Maori people. Shane Graham, chief executive of Te Runanga o Ngati Rarua, called the event “momentous,” noting that it restores mana and honors the living connection to the taonga. The Pitt Rivers Museum’s director, Prof Laura Van Broekhoven, expressed satisfaction that the day has arrived for the cloak’s homecoming.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are very pleased that the day has come for the Kahu Kiwi to return home.” — Prof Laura Van Broekhoven, director of the Pitt Rivers Museum
Why It Matters
The repatriation underscores a broader movement among museums to return indigenous cultural heritage, reinforcing Maori cultural identity and acknowledging historical relationships between colonial institutions and indigenous communities. It also highlights Dr Cleghorn’s legacy in promoting Maori health rights, linking the artifact’s return to both cultural and medical histories.