07.02.2011
N.Z museum mulls options for mummified Maori heads
WELLINGTON (AFP) – For decades, New Zealand has campaigned for museums to repatriate the mummified and heavily-tattooed heads of Maori warriors held in collections worldwide -- now it must decide what to do with the gruesome but culturally valuable relics.
New Zealand's national museum Te Papa has more than 100 of the heads, known as toi moko, in storage in Wellington, along with about 500 skeletal remains plundered from Maori graves as recently as the 1930s.
In Maori culture, the dark swirls and geometric designs of traditional facial tattoos on men recognised high birth and rank, as well as achievements on the battlefield.
Te Herekiekie Herewini, who leads Te Papa's repatriation programme, said the heads of deceased chiefs or family members would be mummified as a way of preserving their spirit, while enemies' heads were preserved as war trophies.
"Initially the mummification of heads and bodies was part of our normal mourning process," he said.
"But when Europeans came, they saw the exotic nature of the heads and they became a coveted trading item because they were of commercial value in Europe, America and Australia."
The heads became so valuable that in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, some Maori hunted members of rival iwis (tribes) and murdered them to supply the burgeoning market in European museums for exotic human remains.
"For some of the iwi, trading in toi moko was strategic in accessing items such as muskets and European tools," Herewini said.
The trade in human heads was banned in the 1830s but over the next century museums turned their attention to skeletal remains.
New Zealand medical students also fed the demand, as they were required to take their own skeletons when they attended overseas colleges, with most of the bones robbed from Maori tombs.
"People would go to known caves or hidden burial sites where they knew Maori remains were and, without permission, they would take them and trade them," Herewini said. "Every museum wanted their own Maori head or Maori skeleton."
The grisly curios continued to be displayed in museums around the world, including New Zealand, until the 1970s.
Herewini said it was around then that Maori began pushing for the repatriation of their ancestors' remains, often meeting fierce resistance from institutions which feared it would set a precedent that could eventually see them forced to return human remains such as ancient Egyptian mummies.
The French parliament last year voted overwhelmingly in favour of returning around 15 Maori toi moko after years of debate about the implications of the move.
"These are much more than simple museum pieces," French lawmaker Michele Tabarot said at the time.
"These are human remains and some of these people were deliberately murdered to satisfy a despicable trade."
Herewini said repatriating remains was an emotional issue for Maori, who had a strong connection to the land and wanted to give the warriors the dignity of a proper funeral.
"For us, it's taking an ancestor back home, so it's the whole process of remembering," he said. "They're family members and it's important for them to be returned home to their resting place.
"The iwi don't know exactly who these people are but they do know they're connected to the land. They think about the different battles they were in, the different lifestyle they lived and the possible connections they have with them directly."
While the remains are returned to their iwi whenever possible, Herewini said that a lack of historical records meant about a quarter of the heads and bones held at Te Papa could not be identified.
They are stored in acid-free boxes in a special area of the museum and never go on display. Even viewing images of toi moko is considered taboo in Maori culture, Herewini said.
Building a permanent mausoleum for the unidentified remains in Wellington is under consideration but the Ngati Kuri tribe, in the country's far north, has put forward an alternative proposal.
They want to bury them near Te Rerenga Wairua, or Cape Reinga, the northernmost point in New Zealand, where Maori believe the spirits of the dead depart for the afterlife.
"It's a special area where there are ancient burial sites," Ngati Kuri Trust chairman Graeme Neho said. "Provided the other iwi agree, we believe placing their final resting place there would be a comfort to them and we would be their guardians."
Regardless of the remains' final destination, Herewiri sad he would continue his quest to return Maori ancestors to their homeland.
"For me, it's about righting a wrong, whether that was committed by Maori or Europeans is really immaterial," he said.
"It's completing the circle and bringing these people back home."
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Packers' Wynn becomes dad hours before Super Bowl
ARLINGTON, Texas – Just Wynn, baby.
Even before kickoff, Super Bowl Sunday was a big day for Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Jarius Wynn, who was present for the birth of his son at a Dallas-area hospital.
Wynn, a sixth-round draft pick in 2009, was released Sept. 4 before the start of this season. But he was re-signed Sept. 14 after a season-ending knee injury to defensive lineman Justin Harrell.
Wynn has played sporadically in a reserve role since rejoining the Packers. He played in the Packers' first two playoff games, but was inactive for the NFC championship game at Chicago.
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SUNNY DAY: Finally, a decent day in Big D on Super Bowl Sunday.
Sunny, blue skies and temperatures in the mid-50s greeted Packers and Steelers fans as they streamed into gigantic Cowboys Stadium for the Super Bowl in suburban Arlington.
And the forecast for kickoff, set for 6:29 p.m. EST, called for temperatures in the low 40s with only a slight chance of rain. By game's end, there's a 15 percent chance of rain with temperatures maybe dipping below 40 degrees.
Most of the snow from the storm earlier in the week was cleared from around the stadium, but four of the 10 gates were not open a few hours before kickoff. Stadium officials established safe corridors around potential fall zones.
Six workers were injured Friday when sheets of ice fell from the stadium following a Thursday night snowstorm.
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MEET THE STEELERS ... AND PACKERS: A few hours before the Super Bowl inside cavernous Cowboys Stadium, actor Owen Wilson displayed a few nifty moves, eluding a "defender" and catching a pass in the end zone, then spiking the ball over his shoulder.
Asked who he was picking, Wilson said he liked the Steelers: "I have the Steelers in my pool," he said to cheers, followed by some boos from the sparse crowd beginning to filled the stadium. "But I can see the Packers winning, too."
Singer Sheila E was mostly booed for picking the Packers.
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TOWELS OR CHEESE: Brothers Charles and Steven Friedman had a bit of a social experiment going on outside Cowboys Stadium before kickoff. The souvenir sellers were hawking Terrible Towels at one side of the table, foam cheeseheads on the other.
Which are the hotter items?
"Terrible Towels, by far," Charles said. "I stopped counting the cases a while ago."
But maybe this wasn't a fair fight.
The towels — easy to carry, fold into a suitcase and wave in the stands — were going for $15 a piece. The cheeseheads — bulky foam that must be worn on the head for best effect — were double that price.
The brothers were donating part of the proceeds to charity.
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NO HARD FEELINGS: Former Patriots and Jets running back Curtis Martin was among the nominees who were not elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He praised those who were selected Saturday night.
"If I were a part of the (voting) committee, I can't say that I would have voted any differently. I'm not being modest at all, but I truly don't feel that there's anyone in this year's class that I should have bested in the voting process," Martin said. "Of course I would have loved to get in this year but, number one the inductees truly deserved it, number two there's always next year!"
Martin retired in 2005 as the NFL's fourth leading rusher with 14,101 yards.
The class of 2011 is Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Ed Sabol, Les Richter and Chris Hanburger.
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RECORD NUMBERS: A record crowd was expected at Cowboys Stadium for the Packers-Steelers Super Bowl.
The current record is 103,985 fans who watched the Steelers beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 in the Rose Bowl on Jan., 20, 1980. Next is the 103,667 fans who watched the Redskins beat the Dolphins 27-17 on Jan. 30, 1983, also at the Rose Bowl. The two other 100,000-plus crowds were at the Rose Bowl, too, at the 1977 and 1987 Super Bowls.
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AP Sports Writer Chris Jenkins, National Writer Eddie Pells and Pro Football Writer Jaime Aron contributed to this report.
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Future uncertain for Pistons G Hamilton
MILWAUKEE – Pistons guard Richard Hamilton said on Saturday he has no idea why he was inactive for Detroit's 92-82 win over New Jersey the night before and doesn't know what to expect next.
Hamilton told The Associated Press that it's one of the most trying times of his career in a brief conversation before the Pistons played the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
Coach John Kuester said Hamilton would be active against the Bucks, and he entered the game late in the first quarter.
"I just found out that I was active just now," Hamilton said walking to the locker room. "Your guess is as good as mine, man."
General manager Joe Dumars declined to comment before the game. In a later interview with Fox Sports Detroit, Dumars said he wants Hamilton and Kuester to put aside their differences and that he disliked the situation becoming a public display.
Kuester previously said it was an internal decision to make Hamilton inactive on Friday night.
Hamilton didn't directly address whether there had been an event that led to him being inactive even though the Pistons have been short-handed already because of injuries.
Hamilton said before the game it looks like he'll be traded, but his contract may not be easy to move even though he's averaged 17.7 points per game over his career. Hamilton signed an extension in 2008 for about $34 million over three years that just kicked in this season, but the third year is only partially guaranteed.
"That's how you see it, that's how you look at it. It's like a rollercoaster ride to tell you the truth. You don't know what to expect," Hamilton said. "It's tough, it's hard. It's one of those things that you can't control."
Hamilton, who turns 33 on Feb. 14, is having the worst season of his 12-year career since he played sparingly as a rookie in Washington. Before entering the game against the Bucks, Hamilton missed 13 games, last playing 21 1/2 minutes on Jan. 10 in a loss at Chicago.
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