Transcript
The exhibition followed last year's Tuia 250 Voyage, a 10 week journey around New Zealand by three sea faring vaka and a replica of Cook's Endeavour.
It was visited last week by two groups of artists due to perform at the cancelled Pasifika Festival.
Hawaii-based Tahitian musician Kainalu Tolentino says he's proud of Tupaia's achievements and wants to know more about the navigator.
"I'm trying to educate myself with the experience here. I've heard stories so would like to learn more. So far I've learned that he was on the same ship as Captain Cook. I'm here to persuade myself to change and learn more."
Noumea based performer of Wallisian heritage Ingrid Niuola says she was pleased to learn about the traditional navigation skills of Tahitians.
"The relation we have with Tahitians is really close. In New Caledonia, we are like brothers. Our culture is not similar like our culture with Tonga, but we've lived together. Actually for our community, we are trying to get the exhibition to teach us more about Tahitian people."
Artist Steev Maka from Wallis and Futuna's Uvea says like the great navigator, Tupaia's story has to travel.
"The Uvean people never knew about it. So they came here and redefined the history. So for them to tell me that this should be everywhere in the Pacific, to tell it because that story has never been in New Caledonia, never been in Uvea. So it is important that story has to travel."
Kainalu Tolentino says an eight metre monument to Captain Cook sits on Hawaii's Kaua'i, where he was killed in 1779 at Waimea Bay.
"It's not a really good thing for us as Hawaiians because of all of the plagues and diseases he brought. For a lot of Hawaiians, it hurts us to see one side of the story. In order for me to learn more, I have to see both pictures."
French Polynesian cultural advisor Ena Manuireva says the exhibition has shed light on Tupaia's legacy and Tahitian culture.
"So there is a kind of Renaissance of the language which is good. But I think it's because we have prepared it through Tupaia. People become more and more aware especially on the Tahitian side more and more aware of this guy. To learn him, you have to learn his language, you'll have to go back to what he used to do and how you understand that."
With the Pasifika Festival cancelled, the artists were allowed to perform their traditional songs and dances at Auckland Museum on Saturday.
