The remains of more than 100 Moriori have been returned today, repatriated from London's Natural History Museum where they have been held for a century.
Hokotehi Moriori Trust chair Maui Solomon called the return of 111 Kōimi T'chakat Moriori (Moriori skeletal remains) a significant milestone for his people.
"I think it's probably the most important thing we can do as Moriori. I think any tribe, anyone bringing their ancestors home, and taking them back to where they belong, is probably the most important mahi that can be undertaken. So, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 10 plus," Solomon said.
This repatriation is the largest-ever return of ancestors belonging to a single Moriori imi (tribe).
Inside the boxes, held by their descendants, are skulls, mandibles, other bones and a small number of complete skeletons.
Te Papa's Kaihautū Māori co-leader Arapata Hakiwai said getting them back has taken more than 20 years.
"I look back at all the people and our founding leaders, this is a culmination of their hopes and aspirations. It's a great day that finally a meeting of the hearts and minds, the karāpuna and the tūpuna are at home," Hakiwai said.
Moriori are the original inhabitants of Rēkohu, the Chatham Islands.
By 1870, fewer than 200 Moriori remained - more than 90 percent had been wiped out.
Maui Solomon covers some of the ancestral remains with a cloak of Moriori design at the Natural History Museum repatriation ceremony. Photo: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London
But with little information on the remains, Maui Solomon said it was hard to identify who these ancestors were or how they lived.
"They were just the bone collectors, as I call them, were only interested in taking the bones and trading and selling and researching. And they've ended up at the museums."
Te Papa has a wahi tapu where all ancestral remains are held.
Hakiwai said the Moriori will not go on display.
"That's insulting and an affront to us and not only to us - to many First Nations and indigenous people. So, whenever we find that these Māori or Moriori ancestral remains on display we approach those museums and we just work with them saying that, look it's not appropriate and we just want to convey that in all cases they've taken them down," Hakiwai said.
London's Natural History Museum has held these Moriori remains since the early 20th century.
They will now be in Te Papa's care - but only temporarily.
Solomon said they were working to move them back to their homeland Rēkohu in a few years' time.
He also has a simple message for other institutes around the world who are still holding on to Moriori.
"Give them back to where they can be embraced, you know in the warmth and the love and the aroha of those descendants who really treasure and value them... it's time for those meheki, those taonga to be returned to their rightful people in their rightful place," Solomon said.
He, along with other Moriori decedents, are still fighting for more moments like this.
Where they can finally hold on to their karāpuna and take them back to where they belong.
