Te Taru White is the Kaihatu (joint leader and
curator) of Te Papa, Aotearoa New Zealand's national museum. He travels
around the world speaking about how museums can bring cultures
together, sharing stories and developing understanding and appreciation
for other peoples. We met with Te Taru on the last day of our trip
during a fierce storm on the North Island whose howling winds you can
hear in the background of the interview.
Te Taru White, the Kaihatu (joint leader and curator) of Aotearoa New Zealand's national museum, explains the difficulty of creating oneness in a country where indigenous people have been marginalized. Sharing power at the level of national institutions can help empower the marginalized and work toward oneness.
Te Taru White, the Kaihatu (joint leader and curator) of Aotearoa New Zealand's national museum, explains the interconnectedness of life from a Maori perspective. Te Taru tells us that Maori and scientific accounts of ecology are complementary. The Maori system provides the genealogical and mythological keys that integrate the observer as a living part of an interconnected field. Te Taru believes that these systems can co-exist, and that oneness begins when two separate worldviews can accept one another without putting one another down.
Te Taru White, the Kaihatu (joint leader and curator) of Aotearoa New Zealand's national museum, explains the responsibility of guarding the past and translating it to the future. In museums this principle extends to any kind of collective management; it is not a question of ownership and property but rather of contributing one's abilities for the sake of the whole.
(1 min 45 sec)
"Everything matters. What you do over here, has an impact over there."
Dr. Rangimarie Turuki Rose Peri, is a Maori elder who
has been involved in education, community development and language
revitalization for the past 40 years. We interviewed her at her home
just north of Tuai, a small town in the picturesque mountains of the
north island of Aotearoa New Zealand. Rose, as she likes to be called,
welcomes people from all over the world into her home to talk about
ancient Maori ways and the importance of learning to understand and
respect different peoples, cultures, traditions and the environment
around us.
Maori elder and healer Dr. Rangimarie Turuki Rose Peri explains the formal Maori greeting ritual called Hongi, which reminds participants of their interconnectedness with one another and with the environment.
(1 min 27 sec)
"We may have differences, but those are to be celebrated, as well. I would find it terribly boring if only Maori people existed."
