British return remains of 46 Maori to Te Papa

Te Papa has welcomed home the remains of 46 Maori from museums across Britain, in the biggest such repatriation to date.

"It's just wonderful. They have been away for over 100 years and now they are back, so they are one again," said Te Atiawa kaumatua Sam Jackson.

Researchers will now try to establish exactly which iwi the remains belong to.

The remains, including koiwi tangata (human bones) and toi moko (tattooed heads), were returned from nine British museums.

Some had been away from New Zealand for about 170 years.

They were carried into Te Papa in crates, covered with woven mats and feather cloaks, and welcomed with waiata and speeches - and the sound of a koauau, a traditional flute.

"It's like having part of your family home. To people overseas they are just something to look at, but to us they are special," said Mr Jackson.

Tattooed, shrunken Maori heads ended up all over the world, after being traded among European collectors, till the practice was outlawed in 1831.

Te Papa chief executive Seddon Bennington thanked the British museums which had given up their collections of remains.

"Clearly museums these days are much more enlightened about what they collect and how they collect it."

Research has tentatively linked the remains to Moriori in the Chatham Islands, as well as iwi in the Kaikoura, Wanganui, Waikato and Auckland areas.

Te Papa will carry out more studies out to find out exactly where they came from and return them to the appropriate iwi.

Mr Jackson said if any were found to have links to Te Atiawa in Taranaki, which he represents, they would be given a full tangi followed by burial.

"They will lie with their grandchildren."