May 23, 2018
Bicultural vision boosts museum career
The first winner of an award recognising the significant contribution of an individual to the museum sector says the relationship between museums and Maori has changed remarkably over the past quarter century.
Awhina Tamarapa says it was an honour to win the award named for Mina MacKenzie, the first Maori museum director, whose own practice at the Manawatu Museum was a model of mahi tahi and partnership.
She says as well as the number of kaitiaki Maori in museums increasing tenfold, the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi have become integral to museum practice since she started the the Dominion Museum 25 years ago.
There has also been a lot of conversation and debate.
"Working for Te Papa Tongarewa was good because biculturalism was in that museum's Act. Our whole organisation was about trying to understand what that means. I've taken that way we worked, being proud of being Maori, nurturing our non-Maori colleagues as well so they understand what being Maori is about, has helped," Ms Tamarapa says.
She now works for Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton, which won the project category in the 2018 ServiceIQ New Zealand Museum Awards for the way it brings together Dutch, Maori and local community interests.
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