March 06, 2026

#regional: Historic Hinaki Returning Home After 160 Years

Dale Husband Posted On March 6, 2026

Dale Husband #regional: Historic Hinaki Returning Home After 160 Years

A taonga taken from its people more than 160 years ago is finally returning home, marking a significant moment for the iwi and whānau connected to the treasured fishing artefact.

The hinaki, a traditional eel trap believed to date back to the 1860s, has been carefully preserved over generations and will soon be reunited with the community from which it was originally taken.

Brad Totorewa, who played a key role in helping facilitate the repatriation, says the condition of the taonga is remarkable given its age.

The woven trap, crafted using traditional techniques and materials, has survived more than a century and a half with much of its structure intact. Those who have seen the hinaki up close say its preservation reflects both the skill of the original maker and the care taken by those who held it over the years.

For the iwi connected to the taonga, the return carries deep cultural and emotional significance.

Hinaki were once an essential part of everyday life for many Māori communities, used to harvest tuna from rivers and wetlands that sustained whānau for generations. Beyond their practical use, such taonga also represent knowledge, craftsmanship and the relationship between people and the waterways that support them.

News of the hinaki’s return has sparked strong reactions among whānau, with many expressing a mixture of relief, pride and emotion as the taonga prepares to come back to the place where it was first created and used.

Community members say the return is not simply about an artefact but about reconnecting with history, whakapapa and the stories carried within the object itself.

Preparations are now underway to welcome the hinaki home through a series of cultural processes grounded in tikanga Māori.

Plans include ceremonial welcomes and opportunities for whānau to gather, acknowledge the long journey of the taonga and reconnect with its significance.

Such processes are seen as essential for restoring the spiritual and cultural relationships that were disrupted when the artefact was taken from its people.

The return of the hinaki also highlights the growing international movement to repatriate Indigenous cultural objects held in private collections and institutional archives.

Across Aotearoa and overseas, iwi and hapū have been working to locate and bring home taonga that were removed during the colonial period.

Each successful repatriation strengthens relationships between communities and the institutions that hold these objects while also encouraging further discussions about returning other culturally significant items.

For those involved in the process, the return of the hinaki represents both a moment of celebration and a reminder of the enduring connection between taonga and the people to whom they belong.

After more than 160 years away, the artefact is finally preparing to take its place once again among the descendants of those who first crafted and used it.