Honouring Dante Bonica: master of Māori material knowledge

Dante Giovanni Bonica, 20 February 1951 – 7 April 2026

He pō, he pō. He ao, he ao. He aituā, he aituā! I tērā wiki, kua whetūrangitia tētehi tāne rongonui ki te pākiri kōhatu, ki te whaihanga toki. He tohunga, he kaiako, he tangata nanakia i arohanuitia rā e tōna whānau, ōna hoamahi, me ōna tauira. Tēnei he rangatira hei whakarangatira i a tātou! Haere, haere, haere atu rā e Koro ki te poho o Ranginui, kia tīramarama ki runga i a mātou.

The highly revered Dante Bonica, of Māori Studies and Archaeology at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, passed away on 7 April 2026, aged 75.

For more than 30 years, Dante could be found in his workshop on Campus, a place described as “like a Hawaiki” to tauira. The man at the helm of it was Dante Bonica.

His Te Ruawhaihanga, the Māori Material Culture Workshop, is tucked cosily between Rehutai (Māori Studies), the Fale Pasifika, Te Whare Rangahau o Himi Henare and Hineteiwaiwa Te Kōhanga Reo.

Of Sicilian descent, Dante was born in Gisborne, and for a time was raised in Ahuriri. At a young age, he became intrigued by Māori material culture. Later, while attending Napier Boys’ High School, Dante was involved in local archaeological activity and started working at Napier Museum.

Despite having no whakapapa Māori ā toto, his early work in the manufacture of tools, especially adzes for use in projects such as waka hull shaping and hollowing, brought him to the attention of kaumātua and tohunga whakairo Piri Poutapu. From 1972 to 1974, he was employed to assist with adzing the wakataua, Taheretikitiki II, at Tuurangawaewae with the blessing of Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. He also worked on the wharenui Hui Te Rangiora in Kirikiriroa.

Throughout his 50-year career, Dante became known as a tohunga and a pūkenga - a skilled expert, with an unparalleled wealth of knowledge. He played an undeniable role in the revitalisation of both making and using toki kōhatu (stone adzes) and other stone tools. He also dedicated his career to the extensive research and transmission of Māori material knowledges and technologies in fibre, stone, bone, wood and shell.

At the request of Emeritus Professor Dr Ranginui Walker, Dante joined Māori Studies at Te Wānanga o Waipapa in 1991, and was admired deeply by generations of tauira who were mesmerised watching him work.

Dante lay in state at Waipapa Marae, inside his beloved whare Tānenuiārangi, from 8 April, and a celebration of life service was held there the next day. Speakers included Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori, Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins, Kaiarataki Michael Kaumoana Steedman, Head of School of Te Wānanga o Waipapa, Professor Tracey McIntosh, as well as whānau, friends and past tauira of Dante.

Professor Hoskins said hosting Dante’s hui mate was a rare and significant occasion for Waipapa, reflecting both the esteem in which he was held and the lasting impact of his contribution to the University and to te ao Māori.

“Waipapa has not often had the opportunity to host tangi over the years, so it has been both an honour and a privilege to host the hui mate of this legendary ringa toi, who contributed so much to the University and to te ao Māori.

"His contribution to Māori material knowledge and cultural revitalisation was extraordinary. The presence of so many University colleagues, past and present, at both the tangi and the service on his final day reflected the deep respect in which Dante was held.

"He leaves behind an enduring legacy in the knowledge he upheld, the communities he served, and the many lives he influenced.”

Associate Head Teaching and Learning of Te Wānanga o Waipapa and award-winning music artist Dr Tiopira McDowell (Ngāti Hine) shared at the service.

“As a historian I got goosebumps watching Dante carving a waka with stone tools in his workshop, and wondered, when was the last time someone carved a waka with a toki on this whenua, 150 years ago? 160? I remember carving my first pūtōrino, and the strikes slowly turned from dull thuds to musical tones. Suddenly the wind picked up and the pūtōrino began to sing of its own accord. These are the magical ancestral spaces Dante transported us to in our everyday lives.”

Across social media, dozens have expressed their appreciation towards Dante, with one person saying: “Watching him was like he was right there with our tūpuna”.

Another tauira and friend, traditional tā moko artist Mokonuiarangi Smith (Te Arawa, Tākitimu, Horouta, Tainui) says, “being with Dante gave courage and inspiration to take the extra step to move towards making how our tūpuna did, using traditional materials and techniques that require specific knowledge that is easily relegated to the “too hard” or “too tapu” category these days."

This sentiment is also shared by McDowell.

“When I finished my first pūoro, I referred to it as a taonga pūoro. [Dante] frowned at me and said, I guess they’re taonga. But if we call everything taonga and make them tapu, they will never become everyday objects that become everyday parts of our lives. That’s why they died out in the first place”.

Beyond his career, Dante is remembered for treating everyone as a rangatira, with kindness and recognition of their individual mana. This is especially true for the tamariki from Hineteiwaiwa Te Kōhanga Reo, whom he greeted daily. He is also remembered for his uniquely bold cheekiness, thought provocation, and the love and wonder he emanated.

Ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi - when the old net is cast aside, the new net goes fishing.

Though Dante Bonica leaves behind many, particularly the tauira who had the privilege of learning from him, he has ensured that the knowledge and skills of tūpuna Māori are carried forward to future generations.