ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the developing relationships between museums and the local and national communities for whose artefacts they are responsible. It also discusses the notion of controversy in the museum context. The larger museums in Aotearoa New Zealand are also seeking to be the focal point for Mori communities. The tribal museums, or Mori marae museums, are intended to act as both a focal point for activities and a means of preserving and interpreting the collection for young Mori and non-Mori. When the Museum of New Zealand (MONZ) reopened on 14 February 1998, as Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, it was not only to a new building and location but also with new status for Mori heritage. Indigenous values and ways of curating are now influencing Western ways of working with museum artefacts. The community has an important role, but they need to share dialogue with the museum expertise.
