It's telling that the British Museum doesn't address the elephant in the room: will they be returning the cloak to the Maori people?
If not, why not?
While it's laudible that they contribute conservation and reconstruction expertise to projects like this - they are well funded and this is in their mandate, after all - if the ultimate goal doesn't include a discussion of returning the cultural history to the people and places it was taken from, then this just more whitewashing of troubling colonial attitudes that continue to this day.
They probably got used until they were worn out, while this one's been safe in storage. They weren't designed and made to be museum pieces, but to be worn (not for everyday purposes so much as ceremonially as a symbol of power and respect).
John Oliver did a segment on this recently. The British Museum is amazing, but you don't have to dig very deep or think very hard to find some very uncomfortable truths.
If not, why not?
While it's laudible that they contribute conservation and reconstruction expertise to projects like this - they are well funded and this is in their mandate, after all - if the ultimate goal doesn't include a discussion of returning the cultural history to the people and places it was taken from, then this just more whitewashing of troubling colonial attitudes that continue to this day.