Intern Tim Fortescue-Willis has spent the last six weeks cataloguing and digitising Theo Schoon’s photographs of Māori rock art. Tim describes his journey working with these negatives and reflects on what he’s learnt about Theo Schoon during his time at Te Papa. Read more
New Zealand art historian and curator, Roger Blackley, passed away on the 15 May 2019. Here, Rebecca Rice acknowledges his legacy.Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
How do museums learn to tell the truth about what they hold in order to become “decolonised archives”?Read more
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
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
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
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
Iwi Development Manager Migoto Eria discusses the mana of taonga, the importance of its meaning, and generating empathy for one another’s understanding and learning.Read more
Kaiako (teacher) Joan Costello takes us through four helpful tips to keep in mind when pronouncing te reo Māori. Kia ora! (Good luck!)Read more
