Map my waahi - discovering our shared heritage→

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In Aotearoa New Zealand, our ancestors all came from another place. Our society is a rich blend of origins, cultures, languages, traditions, religions and foods from all over the world. Early Māori sailed thousands of miles to reach Aotearoa New Zealand. Their routes were preserved in memory or recorded in song. Upon arrival they weaved place names and overland route descriptions into oral histories. These have been passed from generation to generation. Iwi mapping was therefore an oral tradition. The pepeha, for example, is an important form of introduction. It links individuals to their tribal roots and significant landmarks. The forerunner to the Global Positioning System (GPS)!

Join us as we explore the diverse heritage of a classroom, their stories and how they came to Aotearoa New Zealand. Meet with their parents and understand some of the challenges they faced in making this country their home. Your guides will be other students who have been using digital maps to create a record of their origins and the places that support their identity.

Matariki and Navigation - Kupe, Cook and Today →

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The 2019 sestercentennial commemoration of Captain Cook's first visit, called Tuia 250 First Encounters, is a time to reflect on the skills and knowledge of the people who discovered and founded Aotearoa New Zealand.
Matariki was originally a solar celebration that marked the solstice and let people commemorate dead and think about new year. Matariki means the eye of the Ariki, as the small star cluster rises just before dawn in early June from the same point that the Sun rises on the north-eastern horizon. This heralds the Māori New Year: a perfect time for our journey of discovery to explore the significance of Matariki; to appreciate the importance of stars in early navigation; to paddle a traditional waka; to explore Cook's landing sites; to use 18th century navigation and charting techniques, and to see how they compare with modern marine navigation and charting.

Dawn Raids in NZOnScreen→

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This documentary chronicles a shameful passage in NZ race relations: the controversial mid-70s raids on the homes and workplaces of alleged Pacific Island overstayers. Director Damon Fepulea’i examines its origins in Pacific Island immigration during full employment in the 1960s, when a blind eye was turned to visa restrictions. As times got tougher, that policy changed to include random street checks by police, despite official denials. Resistance by activists and media coverage helped end a policy which has had a long-term effect on the Pacific Island community.

Tuia Mātauranga - Encounters 250 topic in Science Learning Hub→

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The topic page about Tuia Encounters 250 and Tuia Mātauranga in the Science Learning Hub website. Includes some resources for Tui Kōreroreo: Ngā Pātai.

Roadside Stories by Ministry for Culture and Heritage→

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Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides that follow major road trips in New Zealand. The stories cover the places you’ll pass along the way – their people, their history, their cultural and natural significance.

Politicians' Papers→

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Archives New Zealand holds the papers of many former Prime Ministers and Ministers of the Crown. These are systematically being reviewed and where appropriate released for public access.
The Politicians Papers online galleries contain digitised images of relevance. ‘Elizabeth Pullman Māori Portraits’ includes 23 items of Māori, including Heta Te Haara, Rewi Maniapoto, and others; while the other albums also include sub-galleries on race, protest, colonisation, women’s suffrage etc.

Walter Nash exhibition→

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New Zealand and the world as seen through the Political Papers of the Rt. Hon Sir Walter Nash G.C.M.G. C.H, P.C. (1882-1968). From food to fascism, from world travel to World Wars, Walter Nash kept everything. His papers provide an insight into all aspects of the world in which he lived.

The extent of the collection is vast – several thousand “bundles” of papers, photos, and other items. They are currently being listed for placement on Archway. This is expected to take several years. The Walter Nash online galleries contain digitised images of relevance. The album ‘Māori’ contains 118 digitised records with added description. They cover rangatira, events, correspondence, culture, war, and more, and includes te reo Māori album names and te reo Māori content in the documents themselves. There are also other albums of use such as ‘Women’, ‘Pacific’ etc.

Ventnor Project→

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A project documenting the history and memorialisation of the SS Ventnor, which sank in 1902 with the loss of 13 people and the remains of around 500 Chinese men whose bodies were being returned from New Zealand to China for burial. In 2007 members of the early settler Chinese community were told the history of the Ventnor sinking from the Hokianga point of view. They were told that for some time after the sinking in 1902, remains had washed ashore and locals had carefully gathered them up. Some sets of remains were collected by Te Roroa and Te Rarawa, who buried them in their own ancestral burial grounds. A meeting with iwi representatives confirmed this was the case, and that knowledge of the remains and responsibility for care had been passed down from generation to generation to this present day.

The Voyage Out, by John Wilson→

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From the Scottish port of Greenock to Dunedin in New Zealand’s South Island is close to 20,000 kilometres – as far as you could travel to start a new life. By sailing ship, the journey took months. Voyagers endured boredom, terror, and misery, and with only the vast, unpredictable ocean to look at. Many of those who stepped on board owned few possessions, but they had what it took: plenty of courage and hope.