The Taonga Files

The Taonga Files opens with a journey into Aotearoa’s colonial past, tracing the origins of the country’s first national museum and the taonga Māori caught within its early collecting practices. Join curators Amber Aranui and Migoto Eria as they uncover how taonga were catalogued, misplaced, and silenced — and how provenance research today is helping restore their stories, whakapapa, and connections to iwi, hapū, and whānau. A powerful blend of history, detective work, and truth-telling, this episode lays the foundation for a series dedicated to giving voice back to taonga.
Link to Amber's Blog

Glossary
Aotearoa — New Zealand
Hapū — Sub-tribe; a kinship group descended from a common ancestor.
Hāpai Ahurea — “Cultural uplift/support”; Te Papa’s strategic priority centred on Māori communities and cultural practice.
Iwi — Tribe; a large kinship group descended from a founding ancestor.
Mātauranga Māori — Māori knowledge systems; traditional and contemporary Māori ways of understanding the world.
Mana — Spiritual authority, prestige, or power.
Māori — Indigenous people of Aotearoa.
Motu — The country or nation; often meaning “islands” or “the whole country.”
Taonga — Treasures; cultural items, heirlooms, or objects of deep significance.
Taonga Māori — Māori cultural treasures.
Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) — National Museum of New Zealand; “Container of Treasures.”
Te Tiriti o Waitangi — The Treaty of Waitangi (1840), the foundational agreement between Māori and the Crown.
Waka — Canoe
Whakapapa — Genealogy; interconnected relationships between people, land, and taonga.
Whānau — Family; extended family network.
Whenua — Land; also placenta, emphasising the connection between people and the land.

In this Brief, we dig into the meaning of ‘taonga’ from our perspective — what the term holds, how it’s been used, what it means to us, and why it matters for the mahi we do. We also touch on its appearance in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, where Māori were promised tino rangatiratanga over ‘o ratou taonga katoa’ (check out the NZ History link below for a more in-depth look at this). That commitment sits at the heart of our responsibilities today. This Brief sets the foundation for everything else we’ll explore this season.
Links
Te Aka Māori Dictionary
Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Glossary
Kōrero - to tell, say, speak, read, talk.
Kupu - word, vocabulary, saying, talk, message, statement.
Pākehā - English, foreign, European, exotic - introduced from or originating in a foreign country.
Taha Māori - Māori identity, Māori character, Māori side, Māori heritage, Māori ancestry, Māori descent.
Taonga - possession, object, treasured possession, something prized.
Whakapapa - genealogy, lineage, descent.
Te ao Māori - the Māori world.
Te reo Māori - the Māori language.
Wāhi tapu - sacred place, sacred site.
Whakaaro - thought, opinion, plan, understanding, idea, intention.

Welcome to The Taonga Files
In our very first episode, we open the doors to The Taonga Files and introduce the kaupapa behind the podcast. Join Amber Aranui, Migoto Eria‑Rowell, and Monica Tromp — three wāhine with decades of experience across archaeology, curation, science, repatriation, museum practice, and community‑driven research — as we share who we are, why we do this mahi, and what listeners can expect from the journey ahead.
We talk about our different pathways into the heritage sector, the moments that shaped our careers, and the responsibility that comes with working with taonga and the communities connected to them. This episode sets the foundation for everything to come: provenance, reconnection, truth‑telling, and the stories that museums don’t always show.
No matter which season you start listening to, this is the best place to start as it introduces the foundations of the podcast.
You’ll hear about:
Our backgrounds and what brought each of us into this mahi
Why provenance research matters — and why it’s anything but boring
The emotional, cultural, and historical weight carried by taonga
How science, storytelling, and community kōrero come together in this space
What you can expect from future episodes, including case studies, interviews, and behind‑the‑scenes insights
This is your invitation into the world behind the labels and the glass cases — a world of journeys, relationships, and stories waiting to be reconnected.
Follow us, subscribe, and join us as we open the first file.
Every taonga has a story. Let’s explore them together.

Glossary
Taonga - possession, object, treasured possession, something prized
Whakapapa - genealogy, lineage, descent
Mātauranga - knowledge, wisdom
Māori - indigenous person of Aotearoa/New Zealand, normal, natural, ordinary
Moriori - indigenous person of the Chatham Islands/Rēkohu
Tūpuna/tupuna - ancestors/ancestor
Whenua - land, country, ground
Iwi - extended kinship group, nation, tribe, bone
Aotearoa - New Zealand
Wānanga - forum, conference, seminar
Mana motuhake - autonomy, self-governance, self-determination
Pakeke - mature adult
Kaumātua - elder
Kaimahi - worker, staff, employee

The Taonga Files is a podcast about provenance research — the detective work of uncovering the histories of taonga Māori held in museum collections. Each episode explores how research reveals not only what sits on museum shelves, but how those taonga arrived there, and the stories they carry.
This show demonstrates that provenance research is far from dry or technical. It is exciting, meaningful, and deeply human. By tracing the journeys of taonga, we reconnect communities in the present with the voices of the past.
Unlike other museum-focused podcasts, The Taonga Files centres on reconnection. It highlights how uncovering provenance restores whakapapa, returns mana to taonga, and strengthens the bonds between museums and the communities whose heritage they hold.