Te Ana Peua’s core collection consists of artifacts from excavations at the Hanamiai dune and monumental architecture sites in Vaitahu Valley. Funded by the Andover Foundation for Archaeological Research and supported by the Mininstry of Culture and the town of Tahuata, these excavations involved members of the local community as well as university students and volunteers from the United States, and Europe. The research efforts and museum are a collaborative effort of the Marquesan community and the archaeologists. Displays feature interpretive labels written in Marquesan (still the everyday language on the island) with translations in English and French.

Exhibits develop two main themes: Marquesan origins and the evolution of Marquesan culture. The exhibits also explain archaeological research methods, with action photographs depicting our excavations on Tahuata. 

For ten years (1987 – 1997) the original museum vitrines lined walls of the town hall. Then in 1998 the community dedicated one room of its new post office building to establish the museum as a separate entity with its own private space. To celebrate this event, there was a dedication ceremony at which the mayor gave the museum a Marquesan name: Te Ana Peua. Te Ana Peua (“the open cave”) refers to the traditional Marquesan practice of depositing the remains of important people and their possessions in secret burial caves. Unlike burial caves, usually hidden among steep cliffs and always strictly tapu, this cave of treasures is open to all.

Te Ana Peua’s total collection of more than 1500 artifacts has been a work in progress since the 1980s. In 2016 and 2017 we added five new vitrines and 250 square feet of new gallery space, together with new exhibits and new lighting. 

The local community feels a deep connection with Te Ana Peua. The artifacts are not viewed simply as curiosities – they represent the island’s cultural patrimony. While the tiki are treasured as works of art, many in the community still consider them to possess mana.