Event Details
Taonga Koiora: Living Practice
Reactivating Heritage – From Museums to Communities
Panel discussion | Friday 10 April 2026 | 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
How do museums support culture as a living force within communities — not a frozen past?
Join us for this free panel discussion exploring indigenous approaches and community activation in Aotearoa and on Country, Te Pāpaka-a-Māui, Australia. Our panellists reflect on ethical care, community-centred conservation, and the reactivation of taonga, connecting local practices to the broader global Indigenous context.
Māori Curator and leading scholar Dr Awhina Tamarapa (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Pikiao) will lead this discussion with Melbourne-based Curator and Conservator Jade Hadfield (Ngāti Paarau ki Waiohiki – Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara), Objects Conservator Erina McCann (Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Ruapani), and Senior Curator, South-East Australia First Peoples Collections, Museums Victoria Caine Muir (Yorta Yorta and Ngarrindjeri, Aboriginal Australian)
The discussion will explore reactivating heritage through community connection, ethical collection care, and Indigenous-led stewardship — from local marae to global contexts.
Drinks and light nibbles will be hosted in the MTG Theatre foyer after this event.
This panel discussion is hosted by MTG in partnership with National Services Te Paerangi, Te Papa.
Please register to secure your place.
This event is an opportunity to hear from speakers from the Tūhonohono i ngā Taonga ā-Iwi Conference being held at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) and Waiohiki Marae Taradale from 8 – 10 April. This is a long-standing, iwi Māori-led national wānanga strengthening Māori capability to care for taonga in ways that uphold mana, whakapapa, and tikanga.
