Tiana
Haxton, RNZ Pacific
journalist/presenter
Tūhura Otago Museum says its
newly redeveloped Pacific Cultures gallery was redesigned
with direct input from Pasifika
communities.
‘Tāngata Moana: Peoples of the
Ocean’ gallery reopened after a 16-month
transformation.
The gallery’s redevelopment comes as
museums around the world face growing calls to work more
closely with indigenous communities when dealing with their
artefacts and histories.
It was important to the
gallery’s collection technician Jonika Edgecombe to invite
Pasifika communities into their storage spaces, allowing
them to decide how they wanted to be represented in the
gallery’s exhibits.
Edgecombe believes Tāngata
Moana can be an example of how Pacific collections
should be handled.
“Nothing for us without us, that’s
the saying aye 100 percent. There’s so much to gain and
nothing to lose by uplifting the voices of the people whose
treasures you’re showcasing, and you get a much more
authentic representation.”
Visitors entering the
gallery are greeted by a vibrant new carpet designed by
Samoan artist Ana Teofilo, featuring motifs from different
cultures found throughout the collection.
The
redesigned space also includes modern digital information
labels, allowing for updates to be easily added.
But
for Edgecombe, the highlight of the new layout is the
dedicated sections representing individual Pacific
nations.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
“It happens a lot to the Pacific, it gets
homogenised, it gets grouped into one lump. But every
culture and every nation that we’ve tried to represent is
also its own in its own right.
“Yes, we’re linked, but
we have unique identities as well. I think it was really
important to get that celebration of every individual
culture without disregarding the connections between,” she
said.
The galleries Pasifika engagement manager Leota
Meredith said this is what the community
wanted.
Meredith said the consultation process helped
fill gaps in the museum’s understanding of artefacts that
had entered their collection long ago, often with very
little information included.
“Our people reached out
home when they were unsure. We were very blessed that many
of our Pacific communities, they reached out home, they went
home, and they helped us with that information. That to me
is something special.”
She said this interactive
community outreach is how other museums should approach
researching Pacific cultures.
For New Zealand born
Pasifika people, Edgecombe hopes Tāngata Moana can
foster connections to their cultural heritage.
As a
Samoan who grew up in New Zealand with little knowledge of
her own pacific identity, she said it was all the more
important to create an inviting space that encourages
reconnection.
“Spaces like museums offer a gateway, a
place to start. I think it can be really special and the
community has selected things that can represent them, so
you’re getting a more authentic gateway to begin
with.”
“I think it’s an in for people like me who grew
up not knowing a huge amount and want that
reconnection.”
Meredith pointed out that this hunger
for connection extends beyond the one generation.
She
said there are parents and grandparents who migrated to New
Zealand who may have lost touch with home.
“Let’s
encourage our youth, and also our parents, and remember,
we’re an intergenerational communal peoples… So the
beautiful balance is that you have the lens of those who
want to know, and then you’ve got those of us who are
needing to be reminded.”
She believes Tāngata
Moana can help all ages connect with who they are as
Pasifika people.
“I think that is part of the overall
journey of self identity, of cultural identity. So places
like museums hold the tangible treasures or the stories that
come with it.
“Our stories makes us who we are in
connection with this space and of the treasures that are
inspired and housed here.”
With indigenous communities
involved every step of the way, museum staff hope Otago’s
Tāngata Moana will continue to evolve as one of New
Zealand’s most authentic galleries of Pacific
cultures.
New Zealand’s public broadcaster, providing comprehensive NZ news and current affairs, specialist audio features and documentaries.
Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter.
