Discover the social history of Aotearoa New Zealand, learning how the country’s bicultural national consciousness was formed.
1,089 enrolled on this course

Duration
3 weeksWeekly study
2 hours100% online
How it works
New Zealand History, Culture, and Conflict: A Museum Perspective
Identify the factors that have contributed to New Zealand’s cultural identity
New Zealand’s social history is built on a foundation of exploration and colonial conflict.
On this three-week course, you’ll access artefacts, treasures, and exhibitions within Te Papa Tongarewa’s collections to discover how New Zealand culture has evolved over time, identifying key historical moments that have impacted the formation of a national identity.
Track the migration of the first Māori people to settle on these islands
Travelling back to ~1280 AD, you’ll learn how Pacific navigators braved the ocean to become the first human settlers of Aotearoa.
You’ll learn how they made these islands their own, creating a culture reflecting the natural environment around them using folklore and festivities.
Building on this knowledge, you’ll explore how contemporary New Zealanders are taking steps to protect their heritage and recognise Māori customs.
Examine the impact of British colonialism and the power struggle that followed
With the arrival of western explorers and British settlers came conflict, colonisation, and a bloody legacy that is still felt today.
You’ll chart how colonialism threatened the Māori way of life, eventually resulting in the Treaty of Waitangi. You’ll assess the reasons for the treaty and analyse the problems it created.
Viewing the treaty from an indigenous perspective, you’ll be able to identify colonial bias and reflect on the impact of the treaty on people today.
Explore the role of Te Papa Tongarewa as a living museum
The ever evolving bicultural society of Aotearoa has helped shape a nation’s unique perspective on culture and heritage.
In the final week of this course, you’ll learn how Te Papa Tongarewa continues to protect and preserve Māori culture, bringing together social and natural history to celebrate a fascinating, yet complex culture.
Syllabus
Week 1
Tangata Whenua
Introduction
Welcome to the Course!
Early Arrivals
The first human arrivals in Aotearoa New Zealand were long-distance Pacific navigators. In this activity we learn how they did it, and are introduced to Māori culture.
By the Moon & Stars
An introduction to Matariki and Maramataka, the Māori lunar stellar calendar. This guided food gathering and planting rhythms, and embody both te ao Māori (the Māori wordview), and matauranga Māori (Māori knowledge systems).
Reflection
Let's reflect on what we've covered in Week One
Week 2
Colonisation and Conflict
Introduction
Introduction to Week Two – Colonisation & Conflict.
First Meetings
Māori were the sole inhabitants of Aotearoa for over 500 years developing a rich culture. In this section we will look at that from a museum perspective, then see what happened following the arrival of Captain Cook and his crew.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
In this section we learn about the New Zealand Wars and the Kingitanga movement. We will also be introduced to Aotearoa New Zealand's founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi), its flaws, and its legacy.
Reflection
Let's reflect on Week Two
Week 3
The museum as a place for living culture
Introduction
An introduction to Week Three of the course
The Living Museum
In this section we will consider the role of museums as places for living culture, and the importance of letting communities share their own stories in our institutions.
Inside Te Papa
A glimpse inside Te Papa Tongarewa; at a past exhibition co-curated with the Museums most recent iwi-in-residence - Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow, and at the museum's marae and spiritual heart, Rongomaraeroa.
Reflection
Let's reflect on Week three, and the course as a whole.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Describe ways that early Pacific Navigators made it to New Zealand shores
- Summarise some Māori ways of tracking the year and seasons
- Summarise key events and conflicts in New Zealand’s social history including the Treaty of Waitangi
- Compare how New Zealand colonial/indigenous relationships may differ from those in other nations
- Engage with Museum based cultural education in New Zealand
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone with an interest in the Pacific region, museums, science, history, culture, or the arts.
It is suitable for anyone wanting to gain introductory insights into New Zealand history and culture.
Who will you learn with?
Mel is part of the Learning Team within Te Papa Tongarewa. She has a background in science, education & communication and has worked with researchers and curators to create these courses for you.
Who developed the course?
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Te Papa’s vision for the future is to change hearts, minds, and lives.
Our role is to be a forum for the nation to present, explore, and preserve the heritage of its cultures and knowledge of the natural environment. Te Papa was established with this role by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Act 1992.
Established
1992Location
Wellington, Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
---|---|---|---|
Choose the best way to learn for you! | $54/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 20 May 2025 |
Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$54/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 20 May 2025
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 2 June 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 2 June 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
Learner reviews
Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.
Get a taste of this course
Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:
Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...
You can use the hashtag #FL_NZHistoryandCulture to talk about this course on social media.
More courses you might like
Learners who joined this course have also enjoyed these courses.
Browse more in History and Politics & Society