Mel Thompson
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.
Location Aotearoa New Zealand
Activity
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Mel Thompson replied to Stephen Turner
Oh how lovely, I hope you enjoy NZ. The knowledge you'll pick up in this course will really add to your experience!
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Mel Thompson replied to Shirley Thompson
Hello again Shirley, I think you'll enjoy this course :)
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Mel Thompson replied to Irene Briggs
I'm so glad you're enjoying the course Irene!
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Mel Thompson replied to Irene Briggs
Welcome Irene, I hope you enjoy your time in this course.
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Mel Thompson replied to Shirley Thompson
Yes wood, but not of the traditional native timbers.
"Carvings for the wharenui were made by Whiting using the non-traditional material medium-density fibreboard (MDF) rather than rare native timber. This enabled the forming of unusual and elaborate three-dimensional shapes. Non-traditional colours as well as European, Asian, and Polynesian design...
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Please do :)
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Sorry to hear that Linda but your solution did make me laugh. Which links aren't working for you? I may need to find alternatives that aren't region locked if that is what's happening!
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Mel Thompson replied to Linda Matthews
Kia ora, thank you for the feedback Linda. I have added the transcript to the text. :)
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Mel Thompson replied to Anne Stewart Ball
I'm so glad to hear that, Anne, thank you.
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Mel Thompson replied to 'beth Cherry
So true 'beth
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Welcome Matylda, great to have you here!
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Kia ora, welcome Rosella!
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Mel Thompson replied to Jill Hind
Thank you for sharing Jill, very interesting!
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Mel Thompson replied to Jill Hind
Welcome Jill, great to have you here
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Mel Thompson replied to Lynn Higgins
Welcome Lynn! Happy to have you learning with us
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Mel Thompson replied to Nina Dickens
Welcome Nina, glad to have you here!
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Mel Thompson replied to Mark Bailey
Kia ora Mark, welcome aboard!
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Mel Thompson replied to Angela Michel
Welcome Angela!
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Very true, but New Zealand remained in the dark about such things for much longer!
Gosh what I would give to have seen that museum though...
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Mel Thompson replied to 'beth Cherry
Beautiful description 'beth
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Mel Thompson replied to Susan Lothian
Great insight Susan. I hope we are... it starts with facing that history head on and pulling the perspectives not told into the light.
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Mel Thompson replied to Rebecca Wormald
Yes, fascinating!
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Welcome Rebecca!
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If it was indeed Te Papa you visited, this is probably the waka taua (war canoe) you recall. This waka is named "Teremoe" and was carved sometime in the 1800s.
(sorry to link to google, but this is the best source of images as it has not yet been digitised by the museum... -
Mel Thompson replied to Clare W
Welcome Clare, I hope this course (and perhaps our sister course too) will give you a good start on that journey!
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Lovely to have you here Gillian, welcome!
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Mel Thompson replied to Tracy W
I'm so glad you're enjoying it Tracy!
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Mel Thompson replied to Ian Bell
Welcome to the course Ian!
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Mel Thompson replied to Connie Azzopardi
I'm glad you found it interesting, Connie! I would love to visit Malta someday.
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Mel Thompson replied to Ingrid Caygill
Thank you for your lovely feedback Ingrid
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I'm sure travel is its own challenge if you aren't in Wellington. But once you get to the museum, this info may be helpful -
https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/visit/plan-your-visit/accessibility -
Mel Thompson replied to Anne Stewart Ball
Kia ora Anne. You are part of a growing movement to bring this nations history and heritage back to the fore, so that we can hopefully move forward while respecting the past. We have a ways to go, but its so encouraging to see how many people are now seeking to fill gaps in their knowledge they may not have been aware of even a few years ago. Tēnā koe.
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Mel Thompson replied to Anne Stewart Ball
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing Anne. Always worthwhile to hear stories from kaumātua.
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New Zealands two 'official' languages are Māori, and New Zealand sign language.
However, English is by far the predominant language, and is considered a 'de facto' official language.
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Mel Thompson replied to Paul Marshall
Welcome Paul!
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Welcome Joanne, glad to have you learning with us!
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Mel Thompson replied to john adams
I'm glad you enjoyed it, John!
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Mel Thompson replied to Jan F
Welcome Jan!
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Mel Thompson replied to Connie Azzopardi
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
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Mel Thompson replied to Shelagh T
Were you there? How terrifying.
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Mel Thompson replied to Penelope Bell
Welcome Penelope, lovely to have you here
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I encourage you to look at our sister course too Marguerite, it shows another side of New Zealand that is just as fascinating!
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/biodiversity-guardianship-and-the-natural-history-of-new-zealand-a-museum-perspective -
Mel Thompson replied to 'beth Cherry
Very admirable 'beth, welcome.
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Mel Thompson replied to Shelagh T
On that kind of timescale, I agree it seems futile. But there is beauty in protecting these wonders for other generations to marvel at while we can.
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Mel Thompson replied to Jill Hind
We hope to have you someday! Our borders are open again but tourism numbers are still lower than pre-COVID.
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Mel Thompson replied to Deborah Wilcox
Great to hear!
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Mel Thompson replied to Shelagh T
There's so much about this amazing land that even most kiwis don't know (yet)
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Mel Thompson replied to Linda Baxter
It's amazing to think of how big this whenua might have once been!
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Mel Thompson replied to Mary Cooper
Not directly in the course content, but we did have a kōrero (chat) about them in the comments later on and shared some links. Keep an eye out for that.
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Welcome Connie! Great to have you here. You may also enjoy our other course focused on the natural history of New Zealand - the two go very well together!
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Mel Thompson replied to jenny R
Indeed, it could have been a very different story!
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Mel Thompson replied to Andy Bourne
Kia ora, thank you Andy
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Mel Thompson replied to Laura Balzarini
Sounds like a great course for you Laura, welcome!
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Mel Thompson replied to Zelda Mile
Thank you for your kind words Zelda
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Mel Thompson replied to Jan Wallace
You can zoom into the displays and detail panels of the walkthrough tour in step 3.4, you can also look at some objects more closely here, at Te Papas Collections Online
https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/search/m%C4%81ori/results?pager=4 -
There are so many perspectives that's difficult to answer. There has been several Treaty settlements that have addressed grievances for some iwi, but there remains a lot of resentment and anger for others. There is a way to go.
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Mel Thompson replied to john wakenshaw
Absolutely! The arrival of an apex mammalian predator like humans was something none of the other life here was at all prepared for.
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Mel Thompson replied to Ingrid Caygill
You can turn on captions in the bottom right hand corner of the video!
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Mel Thompson replied to Sheenagh Adams
Welcome to the course, Sheenagh!
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Mel Thompson replied to Ruth Selo
That's great to hear! Thanks, Ruth
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That's a fair and important question. You can read more about how the Waitangi Tribunal (the entity charged with ruling on Treaty disputes) navigates that question here:
https://waitangitribunal.govt.nz/treaty-of-waitangi/meaning-of-the-treaty/ -
@AnneStewartBall Welcome Anne, lovely to have you here!
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Mel Thompson replied to Ingrid Caygill
They didn't come from quite so far away as Hawaii, but somewhere near Tahiti. So still from the same hemisphere (while still an incredible journey by canoe!), and perhaps they brought some form of the maramataka to Aotearoa with them and adapted it to the local climate over time to help them know when to begin planting or harvesting here.
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Mel Thompson replied to john adams
You're not wrong!
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Mel Thompson replied to john adams
Welcome John, we're happy to have you here!
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Mel Thompson replied to john wakenshaw
Thanks so much!
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Mel Thompson replied to Mary Cooper
Gorse everywhere!
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Mel Thompson replied to Mary Cooper
That's so wonderful to hear Mary, thank you!
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Mel Thompson replied to Gill Gray
Which link Gill? They're working for me but if there's an issue I will try to fix it!
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Mel Thompson replied to Jan Wallace
Thank you for that reflection Jan, very true.
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Mel Thompson replied to Dorothee Komangapik
What lovely feedback Dorothee, thank you.
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Welcome Harry!
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Mel Thompson replied to Lav Sarma
Thanks so much Lav!
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Mel Thompson replied to Daniel Burnett
Island biogeography is a fascinating subject and NZ is a great example of it. Other places similarly "weird" are Hawaii, the Galapagos Islands and Madagascar.
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Mel Thompson replied to Mary Cooper
Welcome Mary, happy to have you here!
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Mel Thompson replied to Tracy W
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Tracy!
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Mel Thompson replied to Tracy W
Always fascinating to peek behind the curtain, isn't it!
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Mel Thompson replied to Zelda Mile
What an inspirational lady
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Mel Thompson replied to Wim Pelt
Understandable!
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Mel Thompson replied to Tracy W
Pūrākau (Māori myths and legends) vary by iwi, but here are some interpretations of stories of creation, life, and death:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnOWHeJNbZM&list=PLM9s_6vtwoeYH1DvDjfC-teUjxLuNK-PS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd_6y0tPvqs&list=PLM9s_6vtwoebx5d1C2PJycOfJ2T_KCPFM
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Mel Thompson replied to Kristyn Harman
Kia ora Kristyn, welcome. Wonderful to have a historian here!
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Mel Thompson replied to Hayley E
Unfortunately all too common Hayley, I hope this is changing - thanks for being part of the change!
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Mel Thompson replied to Mary Cooper
Mary, what wonderful feedback! Thank you so much
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Mel Thompson replied to Hayley E
Tautoko Hayley, stoked to have you here
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Mel Thompson replied to Jan Wallace
We have a sister course on the Natural History of new Zealand that you might also enjoy Jan!
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/biodiversity-guardianship-and-the-natural-history-of-new-zealand-a-museum-perspective -
Mel Thompson replied to Ruth Selo
Welcome Ruth!
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Mel Thompson replied to Jean Porter
Thank you Jean for your kind words
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Mel Thompson replied to Anne Lucas
Thank you Anne, that's great to hear!
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Mel Thompson replied to Sue Fisher
@ColmClancy A powerful sentiment, and especially apt as this week is 'Te Wiki o te Reo Māori', Māori language week, here in Aotearoa!
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Mel Thompson replied to Amanda Oliver
@JennyC Very true, Jenny!
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Mel Thompson replied to Madge Mccarthy
Thank you so much Madge!
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Mel Thompson replied to John Scott
Kia ora John, welcome
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Mel Thompson replied to Dorothee Komangapik
Thank you for sharing Dorothee, fascinating (and devastating) to hear the different ways a similar story played out around the world.
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Mel Thompson replied to Mary Cooper
Tautoko Mary, I agree.
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Mel Thompson replied to Madge Mccarthy
Thank you for your kind words Madge, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
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Mel Thompson replied to Daniel Burnett
Wouldn't want to meet one in a dark alley, that's for sure!
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Mel Thompson replied to Jenny C
It's so counterintuitive for a huge beautiful lake to be a volcano, isn't it!
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Mel Thompson replied to Anne Lucas
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Anne!
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Mel Thompson replied to Daniel Burnett
A few too many tbh! We don't feel very many of them (relatively) though, and are trained in how to respond to them from about our first year of primary school.
New arrivals are always shocked when they experience their first decent quake and their school or workmates immediately dive under tables or doorways while they're still processing what's going on! -
Mel Thompson replied to Mary Cooper
Glad the answers are unfolding for you! I'll try to help where I can if anything else comes up :)
