May 25, 2016
Soutar to head settlement history project
Historian Monty Soutar from Ngati Porou and Ngati Awa has been appointed senior Maori historian for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Manatu Taonga.
He’s the first person to hold the role, and will lead a major new research and education project, Te Taiwhakaea, which focuses on Treaty of Waitangi settlements.
Dr Soutar says the settlements that have taken place over the past thirty years or so represent one of the most significant watershed moments in New Zealand’s modern history and it’s imperative they be documented.
He says many of the key individuals who made the sacrifices to get settlements are still alive.
Improving the knowledge and perceptions of everyday New Zealanders about settlements will also help maturity as a nation.
Chief historian Neil Atkinson says Dr Soutar’s expertise and ability to communicate history make him an excellent appointment to the new role.
Dr Soutar is also completing a book entitled Whitiki: Maori in the First World War which will be published in 2017 as part of the WW100 World War One centenary history programme.
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