Can a museum help set ancestral treasures free from their colonial past?
In short: Explore the cultural significance of pounamu, the resilient nephrite jade of Aotearoa New Zealand. This episode examines how institutions like The Metropolitan Museum of Art engage with hei tiki, sacred greenstone pendants, and the evolving role of museums in honoring indigenous heritage and family history.
Pounamu, or nephrite jade, is a remarkably durable stone sourced from the riverbeds of New Zealand's South Island. For Māori families, this material is transformed into taonga—treasures—such as the hei tiki, which are passed down through generations as vital links to ancestry.
The episode highlights two specific hei tiki: one carrying two centuries of family lineage and another undergoing restoration at The Met. By featuring insights from experts like Dougal Austin and Maia Nuku, the discussion addresses the complex responsibility of museums in managing these objects and the potential for institutions to move beyond their colonial origins to better serve the communities that created these treasures.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Jade | Immaterial | Season 1, Episode 8 #podcast
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