The museum’s main exhibition, Te Utu o Te Kiriraraunga: The Price of Citizenship, acknowledges the contribution of Māori to their country’s involvement in many theatres of war since 1840. It includes sections on the New Zealand Wars and the Anglo-South African War, with a strong focus on the Pioneer Battalion of World War I and the 28 (Māori) Battalion of World War II.

Kua whakaihia te taiwhanga tuarua ki te Kamupene A o Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū, nō te Tai Tokerau te nuinga o taua kamupene. E kōrerohia ana i roto ngā kōrero whaiaro o ngā hōia me ō rātou whānau. Ko te kēhi whakaatau rahi ka taea te huri tētahi āhuahira matua o te taiwhanga, kei roto nei ko ētahi rawa whaiaro me ngā taonga nā ngā hōia o Kamupene A, he mea hoatu taurewa e ngā whānau.

Ko te taiwhanga tuatoru he Whare Maumahara huritao mō ngā manuhiri, ngā uri me ngā whānau. Kī tonu a waenganui o te rūma i tētahi taonga toi rākau nui  (Te Rau Aroha) he mea hanga ki ngā pīhi mano tini o te rākau tawai mai i Te Waipounamu me te kauri repo mai i Te Hiku o Te Ika. E kaokaongia nei tēnei toi tārai e ngā atahanga o ngā hōia nō Kamupene A me te tino mano o ngā ingoa o ērā hōia i mahi i Te Ope Taua Māori Tuatahi me Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū i ngā Pakanga o Te Ao e rua.

Ko tā Te Whare Taonga Te Rau Aroha o te Utu o te Kiriraraunga he āta whakamārama i te utu tino nui ki te Māori o te nanaiore ki te whiwhi ōritenga hei kirirarau i roto i tō rātou ake whenua, ā, me ōna pānga tonu ki te maha o ngā hapori i tēnei rā tonu. Ka tuku te whare taonga kia huritaona e ngā manuhiri katoa te 'utu ki te kiriraraunga' i roto i ō rātou ao me ō rātou āhuatanga.