ABSTRACT
Indigenous peoples are increasingly seeking meaningful governance relationships with museums that hold elements of their tangible and intangible cultural heritage. With the revision of New Zealand’s national and metropolitan museum legislation in the 1990s, moderate advances have been made in Ma¯ori participation in the governance of these institutions based on the recognition of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. During the same period more radical governance changes based on Treaty principles were made in a number of regional museums as they made the transition from incorporated societies to charitable trust museums. It is argued in this chapter that to understand the nature of these changes in Ma¯ori participation in museum governance, and of the ongoing relationships between Ma¯ori and museums, and their significance in new Zealand society, it is necessary to acknowledge the tensions within New Zealand politics surrounding the recognition of Ma¯ori indigenous and Treaty rights, particularly within the context of public institutions.