
Co-collecting climate change in Tokelau: Project IKA
Pacific curator Rachel Yates introduces a co-collecting project that took Te Papa to Tokelau’s three low-lying coral atolls in the South Pacific to document the effects of climate change.
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Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Tokelau is in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawai‘i and Aotearoa New Zealand. Find out more about Tokelau through videos, blogs, and an activity book.
Pacific curator Rachel Yates introduces a co-collecting project that took Te Papa to Tokelau’s three low-lying coral atolls in the South Pacific to document the effects of climate change.
Drone footage of the Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo atolls of Tokelau. About 1,500 Tokelauans live on these atolls which are in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawai’i and Aotearoa New Zealand.
In 2017, photographer Andrew Matautia joined Te Papa on a co-collecting trip to Tokelau. During his visit he documented life on the islands, which are increasingly under threat of climate change. View his photos – including spectacular drone imagery.
In 1981, photographer Glenn Jowitt went to Tokelau to document life on the atolls – weaving, fishing, cooking, faith, and leisure. View photos from that trip.
Watch Novena Petelo explain how she learnt traditional Tokelauan weaving techniques from her mother, and hear about some of the tools she uses in her practice.
In November 2017 media producer Kate Whitley joined a Te Papa expedition to Tokelau. Reflecting on her journey, Kate explores the photos of Glenn Jowitt in our collection and talks with Paula Faiva about growing up in Tokelau and the importance of the inati (equal portions) system that underpins island life.
Senior Curator Pacific Cultures Sean Mallon looks at what the archival and published record tells us about tattooing in Tokelau.
This is a hand held fan from Fakaofo in Tokelau. It was woven by Meaalofa Faleasiu using coconut and pandanus leaves. It was collected by Te Papa as part of a co-collecting project about how people in Tokelau are living with climate change (2017).
Pacific Curator Sean Mallon gives us seven facts about Tokelau – a country made up of four atolls that lies north of the Samoan Islands, and east of Tuvalu.
Senior Pacific Curator Sean Mallon gives a short environmental profile of Tokelau and shares one of Tokelau’s creation stories.
The Pacific island nation of Tokelau is one of the most remote places on the planet, and, with the entire country sitting metres above sea level, one of the most under threat from climate change. Media creator Kate Whitley describes the journey to this vulnerable ‘necklace of small islands’.
Early childhood, Primary
Find out about Tokelau’s atolls, designs, and flag. As well as kupu (words) for food, emotions, animals, numbers, and body parts! Fun for all the kāiga (family).
Activity book
Since Senior Curator Pacific Cultures Sean Mallon began working with the Te Papa collections in the early 1990s, he has admired the tuluma of Tokelau (fishing boxes).
Senior Pacific Curator Sean Mallon looks at the wave of Tokelau migration to New Zealand that began in the 1960s and its consequences.
See four photos taken by Thomas Andrew in 1886. He was on the Buster – a ship out of Auckland that travelled through the Pacific Islands for seven months. The Buster called at Olohega (also known as Swains Island) for a day.
From tuluma (fishing tackle boxes) to vaka (canoes), from clothing and jewellery to photography by Glenn Jowitt, browse our collections from Tokelau.
Find out more about Tokelau, the language, and what Tokelau means to many of their young people in our blogs.