Remembering Roger Blackley (1953–2019)
2019-06-11
New Zealand art historian and curator, Roger Blackley, passed away on the 15 May 2019. Here, Rebecca Rice acknowledges his legacy.Read more
What would Māui do? Playing with tough topics in Te Taiao | Nature
2019-05-22
How do you make topics like climate change and water pollution accessible and fun? Is it ok for Te Papa to take a playful approach to such serious territory? Experience Developers Jen Craddock and Ralph Upton explain how the team took on this challenge, using mischief-maker Māui as their guide.Read more
Is there a culture of exclusion in museums?
2019-05-07
Puawai Cairns, Kaihāpai Mātauranga Māori | Head of Mātauranga Māori, looks at the nuances of language and how ‘diversity denial’ can exclude the communities you’re trying to embrace.Read more
Pussyhats, period poverty, and Parliament: Improving gender balance in the collections
2019-03-08
Triggered by Suffrage 125 last year, Te Papa curators have been collecting objects around women’s rights, and researching our collections to better reveal women’s stories. One of our aims is to improve the gender balance in our collections. Here are some favourite examples from our curators.Read more
Te Hēmanawa Olive Temara (10 Feb 1948 – 27 Feb 2019)
2019-03-01
This week Te Papa lost a very significant former kaimahi | staff member, Hema Temara (Tūhoe, 10 Feb 1948 – 27 Feb 2019), who passed away in Whakatāne.Read more
The museum as marae ātea – He whare kōrero tonu
2019-01-15
In an ongoing series of guest speakers, the Mātauranga Māori curatorial team was recently joined by our previous manager, Dr Wayne Ngata (Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Ira, Ngāti Porou). Mātauranga Māori curator Matariki Williams recounts his kōrero.Read more
Rātana Church and Mita Ririnui: The colours of service
2018-11-08
Today (8 November) is the centenary of the Rātana Church. Puawai Cairns, Kaihāpai Mātauranga Māori | Head of Mātauranga Māori, talks about the robes of an āpotoro rēhita from the church – a uniform with which she have a personal affinity.Read more
‘Museums are dangerous places’ – challenging history
2018-10-19
How do museums learn to tell the truth about what they hold in order to become “decolonised archives”?Read more
The big OE: How Oceania’s treasures made their way to London’s Royal Academy
2018-10-09
With six of our objects featuring in the Royal Academy’s Oceania exhibition, Collection Manager Shane James provides a glimpse into how some of the Pacific’s most revered taonga made their way to London.Read more
Extract from ‘Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow’
2018-09-29
The following is an extract – in te reo Māori followed by English – from the new Te Papa Press book that accompanies our iwi exhibition, Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow, which marks its first anniversary today.Read more
Pākehā: The real meaning behind a beautiful word
2018-09-14
Sometimes, the origins behind reo words can get lost in translation, their meanings altered to mean something derogatory or unpleasant. Kaiako (teacher) Joan Costello shares a kōrero (story) behind the word Pākehā, and helps us understand the beauty of the word.Read more
What’s your favourite kupu?
2018-09-14
As it’s Māori Language Week, we asked people from around Te Papa to share their favourite te reo Māori kupu (word). We want to hear what yours is too!Read more