THE Toi Moko – or Maori mummified head – kept in Warrington Museum and Art Gallery for 170 years, has arrived back in New Zealand following a repatriation ceremony last month.
One of eight Maori heads in England, Ireland and Guernsey, it is now at Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of New Zealand.
Representatives from Warrington Borough Council, who owned the head, and Culture Warrington, who run Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, were joined by delegates from Te Papa at a traditional repatriation ceremony at Warrington Town Hall before the delegates travelled to the other side of the world with the head which was packaged in a special crate.
The signing of an official document by Cllr Terry O’Neill and delegates from Te Papa marked the handover of the Toi moko from Warrington Borough Council to the New Zealand authorities.
Once back in New Zealand, the Toi mokos were greeted with an outpouring of grief from Maori residents and were welcomed with a traditional Maori ceremony at Te Papa.
Maureen Banner, chairman of Culture Warrington said: “We have been prepared to repatriate the Toi Moko, which was held in Warrington Museum, for a long time and we recognise that the right thing to do is to return the Toi Moko to its home. We respect the Maori culture and were delighted to be asked to be involved in the repatriation ceremony”.
Cllr Kate Hannon, Executive Board Member for Leisure, Community and Culture at Warrington Borough Council said: “It was a pleasure to be asked to be involved in the repatriation ceremony and it has been a 
privilege to work closely with Te Papa. We have a good understanding of
different cultures and know it was appropriate to repatriate Toi moko. This special item is now back where it belongs in its Maori homeland”.
Te Herekiekie Herewini, repatriation manager at Te Papa Museum said:
“It has been a privilege to work with the Warrington Borough Council and Warrington Museum to achieve the return of the Warrington Toi moko to his homeland. This generosity of spirit by the Warrington Borough Council and Culture Warrington reminds New Zealanders of our long standing relationship between our two peoples.”
It is not known how the Toi moko came to be in Warrington
Pictures: Toi mokos arriving in New Zealand
