ABSTRACT
In this chapter we are concerned with the ways an ideology of reconciliation is materialized in an exhibition space at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. One of the fundamental objectives of this museum is to “represent the bicultural nature of the country, recognizing the mana and significance of each of the two mainstreams of tradition and cultural heritage, and provide the means for each to contribute effectively to a statement of the nation’s identity …” (Museum’s Mission as cited in Bossley, 1998, p. 2). Biculturalism, the concept of partnership between Maori and Pakeha (non-Maori), has its roots in the controversial founding constitutional document of New Zealand, The Treaty of Waitangi. Inside the museum, the ‘physical’ interfacing of Maori and Pakeha takes place in the Signs of a Nation: Nga Tohu Kotahitanga exhibition. This exhibition is subdivided into three main spaces. The first two deal with the fundamental ideas of the Treaty of Waitangi: government, citizens’ rights, and conceptions of land. The third is the Poringi exhibition, which presents both the Maori and Pakeha sides of a land rights case that is currently before the Waitangi Tribunal.
