Iwi Exhibitions at Te Papa: A Ngāi Tahu Perspective

The post-modern museum has in recent years been grappling with how best to engage with source communities in their professional practice. However there is a gap in the international literature in documenting the relationships between museums and indigenous people, particularly studies by native peoples themselves. The complex dynamics of this relationship are profiled in the following dissertation which examines the Iwi Exhibition Programme at the National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa. Using the Ngāi Tahu Whānui iwi exhibition Mō Tātou as a case study, the research explores how current museum practice through collaborative exhibitions can play a role in the resurgence of iwi identity and tribal efforts to define their cultural heritage. By combining both qualitative and quantitative methodologies endorsed by a kaupapa Māori research framework, the research design employs an online survey to gauge responses from the Ngāi Tahu iwi members to the Mō Tātou exhibition. Findings from the survey show that 90% of respondents visited Mō Tātou, while 83% of respondents reported that the exhibition generated new cultural aspirations. The principal motivation to visit Mō Tātou was "to learn and reconnect" to their Ngāi Tahutanga. Interviews with key informants involved in the development, both within the museum and amongst iwi, reveal the complexity of establishing and maintaining relationships. Inductive analysis produced data that threw light on some of the operational challenges that are faced during exhibition development. Finally, attention to the agency of display shows the production of meaning and the construction of a Ngāi Tahu identity by visitors and developers. The most significant contribution of this dissertation is in providing rich data to profile a Ngāi Tahu perspective in evaluating their own tribal exhibition. In contrast to much critical theory, this study illustrates the potential of collaborative exhibitions: That partnerships and collaborations are feasible, and the results can be mutually beneficial. Te Papa continues to be a leader in their engagement with source communities, although the research makes several recommendations to further advance this process. Meanwhile Ngāi Tahu themselves have demonstrated how iwi can engage with museums to advance their cultural aspirations and exercise their tino rangatiratanga within a bicultural institution.