ABSTRACT
Items of archaeological importance such as artefacts, known to Maori as taonga, and sites of significance, or wahi tapu, cut to the core of Maori identity (see Glossary for definitions and Maori words). As if to mirror the Maori concept of self, taonga and wahi tapu represent both physical and spiritual aspects that can be likened to a continuum from the past, to the present and into the future. Yet despite the fact that Maori created the majority of recorded archaeological sites in Aotearoa/New Zealand, the vast majority of practicing archaeologists and heritage managers are Pakeha (non-Maori New Zealanders or Europeans). This contradiction raises significant questions. If mahi huakanga (heritage), and all that it encompasses, is so intrinsically connected with Maori, why do Maori appear to be reluctant to participate in archaeological matters? The fact that Maori are not engaged in New Zealand heritage as archaeologists is noticeable and conspicuous, yet within the discipline of archaeology and within Maori communities, the issue is often glossed over and is rarely debated, if at all.
