A ceremonial gifting has taken place between Maori and the Tongva first nations community of Los Angeles as part of the closing ceremony of the 14-day Tuku Iho | Living Legacy exhibition.
The 2.1m high tekoteko, or carved ancestor, is made from a 4500-year-old kauri tree and was completed onsite by New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute master carver James Rickard, representing an important connection across the Pacific.
Inspired by a koauau, or a small flute, Rickard said the deity symbolised a common connection Maori and the Tongva people shared in both life and death.
"Sound frequencies can connect people to the spiritual domain, and kaauau or Maori flutes are one such instrument that has this ability.
"The physical nature of this carving captures this idea."
The Tongva, also known as the Gabrielenos, are the Native American community who inhabit the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands.
Along with the neighbouring Chumash, the Tongva were the most powerful indigenous people to inhabit Southern California.
Tuku Iho exhibition director Karl Johnstone said Tongva and iwi Maori shared many commonalities, including their immutable relationship with the Pacific Ocean.
Named Hineraukatauri, Maori goddess of music, the carving was presented to local Tongva during the closing of the exhibition last week.
Tongva elder Julia Bogany said it was powerful to see someone "put all that love into making something for our people".
"My cousins visited the exhibition multiple times, and it was through learning about the Maori that they discovered who they are as Tongva."
Tuku Iho | Living Legacy aims to inspire a range of platforms including the community, arts, policy and economic interests.
For its US audience, Johnstone said the aim had been to not only showcase New Zealand but to also learn as much as possible about other cultures.
"[It has also been] about creating dialogue about identity and its importance to our individual and collective well-being as indigenous peoples."
During its North American tour, the Tuku Iho | Living Legacy exhibition hosted thousands of visitors at the Rose Room in Venice Beach, California, including kapa haka performances on the Venice Beach Boardwalk and iconic Santa Monica Pier.
In July, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, Tuku Iho inspired over 250,000 visitors and hundreds more during a performance on the steps of the world-famous Lincoln Memorial.
Tuku Iho | Living Legacy is expected to travel to Japan in 2019 in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup.
