At dawn on September 10, 1984, Te Māori opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The exhibition of 174 historic artworks would travel to St Louis, San Francisco and Chicago before attracting crowds in Aotearoa on its return, the journey making it a cultural landmark.

Dozens of supporters travelled to the Big Apple for the opening. Among them were (front row, from left) Taranaki kaumātua Sonny Waru, who led the chant from the museum to the gallery, Secretary of Māori Affairs Dr Kara Puketapu, Tainui leader Henare Tuwhangai, Ngāpuhi leader Sir James Hēnare, Northern Māori MP Dr Bruce Gregory and Minister of Māori Affairs Koro Wētere. Standing just out of shot was Sir Pita Sharples, one of the day’s ceremonial warriors.

“Te Māori put our art and culture and history and language on the world map,” he said. “It did such a good job that it put these things, finally, on New Zealand’s map, too.”