Te Papa invites Kiwis to ‘share views’ on Te Tiriti o Waitangi exhibition after protest damage

National museum Te Papa has announced the creation of a new exhibition on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and says an online platform will allow people around the country to “share their views”.

A Te Papa spokesperson today told the Herald a team had been formed to create a new exhibition after 12 people were arrested in December, including a man who abseiled from the roof and used an angle grinder on parts of the English version of the exhibition.

“That team is planning how to renew this space, including how long this might take and community engagement. It’s a complex and important topic and the redevelopment will be done in a thoughtful, inclusive way – that will take time,” the spokesperson said.

Some of the damage to the Treaty of Waitangi exhibition. Photo / National Iwi Chairs Forum

The protesters were part of a group called Te Waka Hourua, which had previously called for Te Papa to take down the English version of the Treaty of Waitangi which hangs across from Te Tiriti O Waitangi on level 4 of Te Papa.

Haimana Hirini, a spokesman for the group, said the English version “misleads visitors” by making them think it is a translation of Te Tiriti.

“It most certainly is not. While Te Tiriti affirms Māori sovereignty, the English document says it was ceded,” Hirini said.

Te Papa said it has “commissioned nationwide research” that will be one input to the process.

“We are building an online platform that will enable people in the exhibition space and around the country to share their views. This will launch in the coming weeks,” a spokesperson said.

A man abseiled from the roof of Te Papa and used an angle grinder to black out parts of the exhibition. Photo / National Iwi Chairs Forum

Being less than 20 years away from the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty, Te Papa said it was thinking about an exhibition that meets the needs of current and future generations of visitors, while honouring the past.

“We will be working with Waitangi Treaty Grounds and the National Library who care for the original document, to ensure that as national institutions we are working together to bring Treaty stories to New Zealanders,” it said.

The current panel remains in place but Te Papa said no final decisions have been made about how long it will be there or what will happen once it’s removed.

“It continues to attract high levels of interest from visitors. Forty-three per cent of visitors who went to the space during December named it as one of the highlights of their visit. This compares to 18 per cent naming it as a highlight over the previous year,” they said.

Te Papa said it had undertaken a full review of the protest incident and “lessons have been taken which will inform our procedures for the future”.

“Te Papa needs to balance being open and accessible, with the need for security. We can’t speak to the specifics – we don’t comment on details of our security,” it said.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.