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    Keeping taonga warm : Aotearoa New Zealand's museums and Maori tapu material : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology, Palmerston North, Social Anthropology Programme, School of Global Studies, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Park, Marilyn
    This thesis is an interpretative viewpoint from a Aotearoa New Zealand tauiwi, of the importance of the spiritual meaning of taonga and their related concepts of tapu, mana and wairua to Maori, both in the past and today. It is concerned primarily with how taonga and their tapu nature have been addressed by Aotearoa New Zealand's museums, historically and contemporarily, and by the anthropologists and archaeologists and ethnologists working within them. While related issues include all indigenous secret and sacred material, both tangible and intangible, I am primarily interested in how museum professionals, expecially anthropologists and archaeologists working within New Zealand Museums, have incorporated the concept of tapu into their engagement with Maori taonga, and how they resolve their own beliefs with those of Maori. I am specifically concerned with how Maori taonga are kept spiritually ' warm,' by non-Maori museum personnel concerned with their physical care. This involves an analysis of museum traditions and past historical influences now affecting Aotearoa New Zealand today. This discussion begins with an explanation of the author's ontological viewpoint and reasons for writing this, and sets the terms of reference for the following discussions. Chapter One examines of the meaning of tapu, taonga and their related concepts, the way in which early writers and ethnologists have dealt with this subject historically, and the impact that this had on the current museological climate as well as interpretations by current writers including Maori and anthropologists. Chapter Two shows how scientific interests took precedence over Maori tapu concerns in early museum practice, both in collecting habits, display and in the interpretation of Maori tikanga, by ethnologists and museum management. Chapter Three discusses the recent changes in the management of some Aotearoa New Zealand's museums, the effect of professional guidelines and specific pieces of legislation on both Maori and museums, nationally and internationally. Recent changes include bicultural management within some museum management structures, iwi liaison committees within others, and current Maori initiatives in respect to the management of koiwi tangata. Chapter Four examines the impact that the changing attitudes towards Maori issues by non-Maori staff have had in Aotearoa New Zealand's Museums, regarding Maori access to taonga, the handling of taonga by non-museum staff, conservation issues and what the situation is today and where it is going. In the Conclusion I argue that, rather than a growth in understanding of Maori concerns regarding the care of and access to taonga held in Aotearoa New Zealand's museums, and of their tapu regulations, and the implications of these to the current well-being of specific iwi, a process of 'managerialization' of tapu concerns has been instigated in all major museums in Aotearoa New Zealand, and with some variations, within some other smaller ones. This has resulted in the decision making passing into the hands of iwi or joint management committees, whereby individual curators, collection managers and ethnologists no longer need to understand these issues deeply. Finally, I emphasise that only museums who actively pursue a co-operative relationship with their local iwi or marae will be visited by the local Maori community and continue to be allowed to continue to care for these important links from the past with the Maori of today. This should involve a repatriation of stolen taonga, koiwi tangata and mokomokai and retraining of museum staff in tikanga and Maori issues. It is not enough to 'pass the buck' and ignore the issues involved.
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    Heritage management : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2000) Ensor, Gwynith Susan
    The recent Government reviews of heritage management in New Zealand have highlighted a number of problems that are contributing to a continued loss of our heritage resource. These problems include: inadequate central government leadership and local government administration; conflict of commercial and community interests; inadequate funding; and physical deterioration of heritage places as a consequence of poor knowledge and management practices. Although policies in various government agencies are designed to address these issues, the results demonstrate that policies have largely failed in their implementation. In response to these problems, this dissertation investigates and develops a new approach for heritage management drawing on the asset management plan and proposes a series of principles to adapt the plan to improve heritage management. A literature review of heritage management identifies the causes of heritage place loss, and reviews current approaches to heritage management. This is followed by an appraisal of asset management as a potential framework for heritage management. The asset management plan is compared with heritage management objectives to determine whether the plan can be successfully adapted. Three heritage asset management plans are investigated to reveal issues specific to heritage place management. These issues are analysed in conjunction with the plan methodology set out in the New Zealand Infrastructure Asset Management Manual to guide the development of a series of heritage principles. The principles are reviewed by five experts to evaluate their feasibility for underpinning heritage asset management plans. It is shown that a new approach to heritage management needs to be adopted to protect heritage places. Many agencies currently implement asset management plans and have the ability to apply the methodology to heritage management. Some agencies have already begun to adapt the asset management plan for heritage. If heritage asset management plans are to address current heritage issues adequately, they need to incorporate sustainable management objectives, full lifecycle management and long-term strategies to secure resources. The principles proposed in this dissertation are designed to promote a comprehensive and consistent approach to the preparation of heritage asset management plans. If widely implemented as a management tool by central and local government agencies, the heritage asset management plan could provide the basis of an integrated, structured and long-term process for heritage management in New Zealand.
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    The rise and fall of CCAC : a case study in heritage politics : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Museum Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1998) McCarthy, Kerry
    Museums are publicly funded community organisations. In New Zealand today most museum funding is provided by local governments but central government also plays a role. Fundamental to museum activity is the preservation of collections which are assembled on behalf of the contributing community as material representations of its heritage and which are intended to be held in perpetuity for the information and enjoyment of present and future generations. Conservation is the chief means by which preservation is achieved and it has received increasing prominence as a scientific, technical and management activity in museums in the second half of the twentieth century. During the 1970s calls for improved standards of conservation in New Zealand's museums led central government to establish a ministerial advisory committee within the Department of Internal Affairs. This committee (the Interim Committee for the Conservation of Cultural Property) was to guide and facilitate collection conservation and the training of personnel through funding allocation and the provision of policy advice. It was replaced in 1987 by the Cultural Conservation Advisory Council, a similarly constituted body with a closely aligned mandate. These committees were formed during a period of interventionist government philosophy but since the mid 1980s New Zealand government has radically altered this stance and has withdrawn from service delivery in many areas. Government reforms have focused on the application of private market principles to the public sector, financial stringency and improved accountability. The Cultural Conservation Advisory Council was reviewed in 1991 and its activities discontinued. It is clear that shifting political philosophies had a strong influence on this outcome but there were several other contributing factors. The Council did not succeed in establishing an endorsed heritage policy for government and did not secure unified heritage sector support to advocate for its continuation. Since the Council's demise central government has not renewed its leadership role in promoting the conservation of New Zealand's cultural property. However, a number of discrete initiatives have arisen and important advances have been made in seeking to define government's role in heritage management and preservation generally and in the care of taonga Maori in particular. Australia has recently adopted a National Conservation and Preservation Policy for Moveable Cultural Heritage and is moving towards programme delivery in this area. This initiative may provide a useful model for New Zealand. As well as analysing central government's activities in cultural property conservation, this thesis points to the wider question of government's place in cultural activities generally and notes that traditional rationales and justifications must be reworked in light of new political philosophies in order to achieve a meaningful solution for communities and the heritage which they value.
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    The cultural preservation of Tonga : traditional practice and current policy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Social Policy at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1996) Havea, Sōsefo Fietangata
    Social policy has developed as a discipline since the 1940s, with the coming of the modern welfare state. As a discipline or field of study, social policy has concentrated its vision on modern institutions of government, the constitutional, political and administrative process involved in providing for the welfare of contemporary welfare states. Tonga is an example of an independent State which has grafted a contemporary State onto a highly specialised Polynesian society. With these dual heritages, the question of maintaining Tonga's unique and rich cultural heritage is extremely significant, especially in the context of challenges to the monarchical and aristocratic control of government. This issue is doubly significant because the monarchy has become a crucial element of Tongan tradition, as well as the instrument for maintaining Tonga as an independent nation state, a member of the United Nations and a participant in a large number of international agreements with the obligations these bring. This thesis surveys the institutions which are involved in cultural preservation in Tonga, and contrasts a fundamentally indigenous institution, the kava ceremony, with imported legislative and administrative institutions. It is argued that in dealing with a non-western society, adopting a substantially western form of government, there is a need to examine not just the formal institutions of policy making but also the traditional institutions which continue to influence both the structure of government and its policy objectives. Understanding the interconnection of these different institutions is fundamental to understanding the way that policy, or more importantly, policy reform can be effected.
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    Development of bicultural policy for the Auckland Museum : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Maori Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Whaanga, Mere Joslyn
    In common with the indigenous peoples of North America, Mäori have undergone processes of colonisation that dispossessed them of their lands and diminished their cultures. Museums were institutions developed to house the material culture of the indigenous peoples dispossessed by the colonisers. Their interpretation of Mäori culture, constructed in isolation from the people who had crafted the taonga, became primary sources of information about Mäori. Throughout the last three decades of the twentieth century Mäori have noticeably engaged in a reaffirmation and rejuvenation of their culture. In those thirty years, there has been significant change in society - a growing awareness and recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi as fundamental to the polity of Aotearoa New Zealand. This has impacted on museums as Mäori assert the rights guaranteed them by the Treaty of Waitangi. Auckland Museum is one of the four major museums in Aotearoa New Zealand. It houses arguably the most extensive and significant collection of taonga in the world. To date, it is the only museum whose legislation includes reference to the Treaty of Waitangi and provision for a Mäori governance body. This thesis examines the effectiveness of those statutory provisions and documents the progress of Mäori involvement in Auckland Museum since the Auckland War Memorial Museum Act 1996 became effective. Developments amongst the indigenous peoples of North America in relation to museums, and the bicultural stance of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa are reviewed by way of comparison and example of bicultural policy development for Auckland Museum.
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    Kanohi ki te kanohi : a journey towards repatriation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Māori Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) Tipene-Hook, Brenda
    This thesis explores and examines Ngāti Hine perspectives with respect to taonga. Whilst past research has tended to focus on how museums have responded to international and domestic pressure in terms of their recognition of indigenous rights and cultural awareness, in contrast, the Ngāti Hine experience and the Ngāti Hine response is emphasised. With particular regard to the Ngāti Hine taonga tapu currently housed at the Auckland Museum, this thesis examines hapū-museum relationships from the perspective of Ngāti Hine and investigates and analyses the degree and quality of hapu-museum interaction. An account of the journey, thus far, that Ngāti Hine have made in terms of repatriating their taonga tapu back to within their tribal boundaries and jurisdiction is given. The Ngāti Hine experience is central to the research findings and shows how this journey continues to shape the current perspectives of Ngāti Hine in terms of their response to, and their relationship with, museums. The research consulted with participants drawn from within Ngāti Hine. Research methodology included one-to-one interviews, a focus group discussion, and a review of relevant literature. Appropriate and relevant methodologies for Māori-centred research, and in particular, Action Research methodology, were employed. Due to the nature of the research and the researcher’s personal cultural views and convictions, the Māori research participants were limited to those of Ngāti Hine descent who are known personally to the author. In addition, all interviews, consents, and dissemination of information complied with legislation regarding privacy and included any additional restrictions, or freedoms, stipulated by the participants. The expected timeframe was from November 2004 to January 2006 but was extended to August 2010. Whilst the research data has not been affected, some updates to the research have been made. Envisaged outcomes include the opportunity for Ngāti Hine to share their perspective in an area where they are infrequently consulted and to share their journey through the repatriation process. It is also hoped that this thesis will provide a better understanding of the hapū-museum dynamic and therefore assist in improving iwi/hapū-museum relationships.
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    Evaluating the tangible, acknowledging the intangible : the application of auditing, kaitiakitanga and collection management during the Tairāwhiti museum taonga Māori audit : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Museum Studies at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Colmer, Paki-Moana
    The objective of this dissertation is to reveal how the application of auditing and holistic collection management practices can bring about tangible and mutually beneficial outcomes for museums, Māori and taonga Māori collections. The core research of this dissertation is a case study of the Tairāwhiti Museum Taonga Māori Audit. This demonstrates the praxis of auditing; the concurrent application of kaitiakitanga and collection management principles; and the strategic outcomes that may be achieved when undertaking similar initiatives. At present the practice and implications of auditing for museums is an underdeveloped area of enquiry. This dissertation clarifies auditing and its emergence in museum practice; the current debates surrounding it; and examples of national and international auditing to place the Tairāwhiti Museum Audit within the broader context of museum based auditing. The Tairāwhiti Museum Audit demonstrates the rationale, implementation and potential benefits of auditing as a strategic collection management tool. To provide an epistemological framework for the Tairāwhiti Museum Audit the context of taonga Māori from the Māori worldview is clarified, and an overview of shifts toward the acknowledgement and application of mātauranga Māori principles in New Zealand museums is provided. The approach of the Tairāwhiti Museum toward the collection management of taonga has been influenced by external shifts, but more often has been progressive in its response toward meeting the expectations of local Māori and the needs of the taonga Māori collection. The Tairāwhiti Museum Audit is further evidence of this. The dissertation reveals the relevance of taonga to Māori, and demonstrates how kaitiakitanga principles can be applied to strategic collection management initiatives.
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    Indigenous intellectual and cultural property rights
    (2008-01-30T22:17:12Z) Lilley, Spencer C
    1999 heralds the beginning of the United Nations Decade for Indigenous Peoples. A number of issues will be highlighted throughout the decade and new opportunities will emerge. In recent years both Australia and New Zealand have witnessed a rebirth of interest in indigenous issues. One of the more complex issues that has emerged has been that of cultural and intellectual property rights. Assertion of property rights over traditional forms of knowledge will become one of the leading challenges for indigenous peoples during this decade. Indigenous intellectual and cultural property rights do not fit neatly into western legal frameworks and this therefore leaves the knowledge of indigenous peoples vulnerable to exploitation. Indigenous peoples are establishing their own networks and working through international organisations such as the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations to identify sectors where cultural and/or intellectual property rights are being compromised. Libraries and information centres store and provide access to a variety of resources that fall into the category of intellectual and cultural property and this will subject our sector to intense scrutiny. This paper will identify what constitutes cultural and intellectual property rights, how it conflicts with western law, and what the implications for libraries and information centres are.
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    Maori and museums : the politics of indigenous recognition : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Museum Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North
    (Massey University. School of Maori Studies, 2003) Butts, David James
    As a result of colonialism indigenous peoples have been marginalised within their own customary territories. In an analysis of the politics of cultural recognition Tully (1995) proposes the reconceptualisation of the 'common ground': sites, including public museums, within which different cultures negotiate their relationships within the modern nation-state, where the rights of indigenous peoples can be recognised on the basis of the principles of mutual recognition, continuity and consent. This thesis examines the impact of the politics of indigenous recognition on the evolving relationships between Mäori and museums, focusing on Mäori participation in the governance of regional charitable trust museums in New Zealand.The international context is explored through an investigation of indigenous strategies of resistance to museum practices at the international, national and local levels. The national context within which Mäori resistance to museum practices has evolved, and subsequent changes in practice are then outlined.Two case studies of regional charitable trust museums, which began to renegotiate Mäori participation in their governance structures in the late 1990s, are examined. The different governance models adopted by Whanganui Regional Museum, Whanganui, and Tairawhiti Museum, Gisborne, both effected major shifts from the historical pattern of limited Mäori participation in the museums to the representation of all tangata whenua iwi on the new trust boards. The governance negotiation processes and the responses of interested parties are analysed. The case studies demonstrate the importance of understanding the historical context within which public institutions are embedded and the forces that lead to contemporary adjustments in power relationships.Both new governance models have resulted in genuine power sharing partnerships between tangata whenua and the museums. Finally, the extent to which the two institutions have subsequently moved towards becoming 'common ground' where the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples can be realised is analysed.