Biculturalism at New Zealand's National Museum : An Ethnology of Te Papa

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa has been celebrated as an international leader for its bicultural concept and partnership with Māoriin all aspects of the museum, but how does this relationship with the indigenous partner work in practice?

Biculturalism at New Zealand's National Museum reveals the challenges, benefits and politics of implementing a bicultural framework in everyday museum practice. Providing an analysis of the voices of museum employees, the book reflects their multifaceted understandings of biculturalism and collaboration.

Based on a year of intensive fieldwork behind the scenes at New Zealand's national museum and drawing on 68 interviews and participant observations with 18 different teams across the organisation, this book examines the interactions and cultural clashes between Māori and non-Māori museum professionals in their day-to-day work. Documenting and analysing contemporary museum practices, this account this account explores how biculturalism is enacted, negotiated, practised and envisioned on different stages within the complex social institution that is the museum. Lessons learnt from Te Papa will be valuable for other museums, NGOs and organisations facing similar issues around the world. An Ethnography of New Zealand's National Museum addresses a gap in the literature on biculturalism and reaffirms the importance of ethnography to the anthropological enterprise and museum studies research. As such, it will be essential reading for academics and researchers in the fields of cultural anthropology, museum anthropology, museum studies, and Maori studies or indigenous studies. It should also be of great interest to museum professionals.

Tanja Schubert-McArthur has been a Research Analyst and Inquiry Facilitator at the Waitangi Tribunal since 2016. She undertook her PhD in Cultural Anthropology at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and worked as a Research Assistant and Events Supervisor at Te Papa from 2007 to 2014.