Addressing Cultural Risks in Conservation Decision-Making in the Development of the He Tohu Exhibition

Abstract

He Tohu is the permanent exhibition of three of Aotearoa New Zealand’s constitutional documents at the National Library of New Zealand. In 2012, Minister for Internal Affairs Chris Tremain announced the documents would be moved from Archives New Zealand to a new purpose-built exhibition space at the National Library. In 2013, it was announced the move and opening deadlines for the exhibition could not be met. A subsequent review highlighted lack of consultation with stakeholders, particularly with Māori. In response, a new project established a Crown-Māori partnership, including the role of Principal Advisor, Māori, to ensure meaningful engagement and care for the exhibition’s mauri (life force). A Conservation Work Group (CWG) was also formed to set conservation parameters and advise the Chief Archivist and project teams.Drawing on semi-structured interviews with project members, this paper outlines the context of the CWG and the Principal Advisor, Māori role and the tensions in creating a bi-cultural exhibition process in a Crown-managed framework. The paper also introduces the Mauri Model, an indigenous risk analysis framework, as an alternative to conservation approaches like the Ten Agents of Deterioration. The inclusion of this model aims to provoke discussion on integrating indigenous perspectives into conservation practices.

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