A museum in the Netherlands is going out of its way to look after a traditional Maori canoe.
The Volkenkunde Museum in Leiden took on board a suggestion from Toi Maori Aotearoa - Maori Arts New Zealand and built a traditional waka shelter for it.
The waka, Te Hono Ki Aotearoa, was made in New Zealand and handed over as an exhibition piece in April this year.
Nga Waka Federation chairperson Robert Gabel says he cannot praise the museum enough for the respect it has for Maori culture.
Mr Gabel says the federation is extremely pleased with the way the Dutch museum is treating the long carved canoe and how it embraced Maori culture by following the correct protocols and practices to house it.
The ceremonial opening for the waka shelter takes place on 11 August.
