A partnership approach to repatriation of māori ancestors

Māori and Moriori ancestral remains were traded throughout Europe, the Americas and Australia from 1770s onwards. Repatriation requests have successfully secured the return of many ancestral remains since the 1980s, but the act of repatriation does not always secure a lasting legacy of friendship and continued collaboration. The University of Birmingham, UK, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) have worked together to build a bridge which fostered collaborative work beyond the formal handover ceremony of the Māori ancestors. The bridge was built by mutual respect, increased levels of understanding and willingness to cooperate for the good of the tūpuna (ancestors). This chapter provides insight into how two respective institutions committed to repatriation can work together to achieve a dignified and honourable approach to repatriation, which is reflective of contemporary standards of ethics, Indigenous rights and inclusive of Māori cultural practices. The repatriation of Māori ancestral remains from Birmingham University took place on 18 October 2013.