Repatriation, reconciliation and the inversion of patriarchy

Abstract

During the 1940s and 1950s koiwi tangata (human remains) were excavated at the Wairau Bar and taken to the Canterbury Museum. The excavations provided the scientific community with an abundance of data about the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand. For the Rangitane community of the Wairau the excavations have been a cause of distress. At the time of the excavations, tribal elder Peter MacDonald protested the removal of the koiwi tangata. Although his protests were unsuccessful, his legacy of protest was passed to subsequent generations. This article examines the history of the Wairau Bar and the excavations from a Rangitane perspective, contextualising the tribe's experiences within a longer history of European colonisation. The article discusses the negotiations between various institutions and Rangitane, which led to the repatriation of koiwi tangata in 2009. A condition of repatriation was that the koiwi tangata undergo scientific analysis, including mtDNA sequencing. Despite having some reservations initially, the research has had positive but unexpected outcomes for Rangitane. The article suggests that mtDNA sequencing, with its focus on maternal descent, has led to a growing interest in female ancestors generally.