Course: New Zealand History, Culture and Conflict: A Museum Perspective

Kupe is an important ancestor to the Maori people, and in many but not all iwi narratives he is accredited with being the first Polynesian to discover the islands of …

Seven or nine? Some iwi only recognise seven whetū (stars) in Matariki, others the nine we saw in the last step. The symbolism of these whetū can also vary. The …

What is Matariki? Matariki signals the Māori New Year. It is a time of renewal and celebration in New Zealand that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster. …

‘So vast, so fabulously a varied scatter of islands, nations, cultures, mythologies and myths, so dazzling a creature …’ – Albert Wendt, 1976 The land before time Aotearoa New Zealand …

One way in which Te Papa Tongarewa works to honour its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) and ensure that indigenous voices are platformed in the …

What is a marae? A marae is a traditional Māori community space. It typically includes the grounds, marae atea, and the communal meeting house, wharenui. It is a space for …

Drafting the Treaty To prevent control of New Zealand by the French or other interested parties (such as the New Zealand Company), British Naval Officer William Hobson was tasked with …

In this step we look at what culture and heritage means within the particular context of Aotearoa New Zealand. What does culture and heritage mean in Aotearoa? We have unique …

Journeys of Discovery Abel Tasman was the first European to come to New Zealand shores in 1642, though he never disembarked onto New Zealand soil. Next, some 120 years later, …