You’ve probably seen forensic scientists on TV taking swabs and fingerprints from crime scenes. They aren’t wearing labcoats, hairnets and gloves to look cool but to prevent them contaminating their forensic evidence with their own DNA. But how do scientists deal with items that are already contaminated with unwanted humanRead more
Suitable for: Early childhood, primary, and keen storytellers of any age This is the third and final instalment of our Matariki resource for 2016. In Parts 1 and 2, we introduced the Matariki tradition of kōrero pūrākau (storytelling), and showed how to use creative movement or dance as a meaningfulRead more
Suitable for: Early childhood, primary, and keen storytellers of any age This is the second instalment of our Matariki resource for 2016. Part 1: Storytelling In Part 1, we explored storytelling as a Māori tradition full of drama, imagery and action. In Part 2, you’ll learn how to bring creative movementRead more
Suitable for: Early childhood, primary, and keen storytellers of any age This is the first instalment of our Matariki resource for 2016. Celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year, by learning about te whare tapere (the traditional Māori house of entertainment) and the role of kōrero pūrākau (storytelling). Plus, pick upRead more
Witchy tale In 1936, the Dominion Museum was given a gift so rare and strange that it made the news. Described in the Auckland Star and in museum records as a “witch doctor’s outfit”, the garment was subsequently displayed for many years in the Buckle St building that opened thatRead more
Matariki at Te Papa offers up a smorgasbord of events and as a photographer at Te Papa it is a busy time, with Kapa Haka, music, stargazing and artist talks just some of the events we are asked to cover. On sunday I was privileged to have the opportunity toRead more
We learnt with sorrow and regret that photographer and educator Tony Whincup passed away recently. Tony photographed periodically in the remote islands of the Pacific nation of Kiribati over four decades, creating an extensive photographic documentation of its people and their culture. Te Papa purchased 47 of Tony’s photographs onRead more
This week is the first-ever Fiji language week with the theme Noqu Vosa, Noqu iYau Talei: My Language, My Treasure. The Pacific Cultures curators have been blogging daily with Fiji related stories from the collections and exhibitions at Te Papa. Today’s second to last blogpost is from Rachel Yates (Curator PacificRead more
This week is Tuvalu language week and the theme is “Tuvalu tau gana ko tou lagaifakalaga Tuvalu, your language keeps your culture and identity afloat”. Curators from the Pacific Cultures team are highlighting key Tuvalu artefacts and stories from Te Papa’s collections. It is busy at Te Papa right now, withRead more
For the opening reception of the refreshed Te Papa art exhibition Collecting Contemporary held on February 22 2012, Taualuga: The Last Dance, 2006, a performance work by Samoan/Japanese artist Shigeyuki Kihara was presented. Staged in the gallery where the Collecting Contemporary exhibition is displayed, the performance was realised alongside theRead more
