{"id":59203,"date":"2011-10-13T22:40:58","date_gmt":"2011-10-13T20:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/?p=59203"},"modified":"2025-10-21T22:19:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:19:11","slug":"october-3-2011-france-to-return-all-maori-heads-to-new-zealand-in-january-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/en\/2011\/10\/october-3-2011-france-to-return-all-maori-heads-to-new-zealand-in-january-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"October 3, 2011: France to return all M\u0101ori heads to New Zealand in January 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

The news came across from St\u00e9phane Martin, the president of the Mus\u00e9e du quai Branly<\/strong> in Paris: all the M\u0101ori warrior heads<\/strong> \u2013 also known as Toi Moko<\/em> \u2013 that remain in various French museums will be returned with a formal ceremony held at quai Branly at the end of the M\u0101ori exhibition<\/strong><\/a>, end of January.<\/p>\n

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The warrior heads used to be considered as trophies or curiosities, and they\u2019d been objects of trade and even manhunts when the colonization of Oceania began in the 18th century. Banned in 1831 by the British government in New Zealand and Australia, the trade continued illegally for years on end.<\/p>\n

\"tete-maori2\"<\/p>\n

Restitution of all the Toi Moko stored in French museums was agreed in Parliament in May 2010<\/strong>. But France isn\u2019t the first country to make that decision: several countries, including Switzerland, Great Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany had already agreed to New Zealand\u2019s request of having the remains returned.<\/p>\n

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Still, last May, the city of Rouen was the first in France to solemnly return a mummified and tattooed M\u0101ori warrior head that had been offered to the local museum at the end of the 19th century.<\/p>\n

\"tete-maori3\" \"tete-maori4\"<\/p>\n

There should remain about twenty on the French territory at this point, including 7 at the Mus\u00e9e du quai Branly. They will soon be returned to the Museum of Te Papa<\/strong>, Wellington, where research will be carried out to determine which tribe the warriors belonged to.<\/p>\n

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As for what is to become of the Toi Moko, discussion remains: some among the M\u0101ori wish to buy them in their home tribe, while others advocate to have them secured from destruction in the name of memory and a better knowledge of their culture.<\/p>\n

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Article in The <\/em>Dominion Post<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Article in Lib\u00e9ration<\/em> (in French)<\/a><\/p>\n

Articles and videos, May 2011:<\/p>\n

The Guardian<\/a><\/em>, BBC<\/a><\/em>, <\/em><\/a>Lib\u00e9ration<\/a><\/em> (in French)<\/a><\/p>\n

Interview of French senator Catherine Morin-Desailly (in French)<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/a>One News <\/em> <\/a><\/em>report<\/a><\/p>\n

Article on the M\u0101ori exhibition held at Mus\u00e9e du quai Branly<\/a><\/p>\n