He whakapapa kōrero, he whenua kura
Talking about our past, to create a better future

Panui 5 - October 2016

New Governor-General, HE Dame Patsy Reddy, GNZM, QSO gives her first address after being sworn in by Chief Justice, Dame Sian Elias on the steps of Parliament, 28 September 2016.

New Zealand is well regarded for gender equality, having been the first country to give women the vote – Prime Minister John Key

The appointment of new Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy sent a strong message about New Zealand valuing women in leadership roles, Prime Minister John Key told the crowd gathered at the swearing-in ceremony at Parliament in September.

He said it highlighted New Zealand’s history on gender equality, having been the first country to give women the vote.

The 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition – Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine was the instrument of change in which the women of New Zealand demanded the right to participate in political life.

The petition will be one of the three important constitutional taonga that feature in the new He Tohu permanent exhibition, to open in the National Library in early 2017.

Dame Patsy said in her speech that four themes would guide her own time as Governor-General: creativity, innovation, leadership and diversity.

She said it was her intention to respect and honour the unique partnership between Crown and Māori, as enshrined in our founding document, 1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Treaty of Waitangi.

Te Tiriti will also be part of the He Tohu exhibition, with the third document being 1835 He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni – Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand.

There was a strong women focus at the ceremony. Not only was Dame Patsy sworn in by a woman Chief Justice – Dame Sian Elias – but the tri-service royal guard of honour was under the command of a woman – Lieutenant Commander Kerry Tutty of the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Collaboration and building enduring relationships are the foundation of the He Tohu exhibition story

The He Tohu exhibition is being developed in partnership with iwi Māori and in collaboration with women’s groups and other key stakeholders, both in Government and nationwide.

A two-year partnership, begun in September 2014, between the Crown and iwi Māori has provided direction and leadership for He Tohu. This partnership is represented by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Peter Dunne, and a group of iwi and manawhenua leaders.

Ngāpuhi kaumatua and kuia, kaitiaki of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, have been meeting with the project’s principal Māori advisors and manawhenua group, to develop protocols and kawa around preservation needs for the taonga when they are moved to the new site, and for the opening of the exhibition.

External advisory groups (made up of leading Māori experts in various areas and representatives of national women’s groups) and the exhibition project team have worked together to ensure many perspectives are represented in this unique national exhibition.

Over the past year there has also been interaction with museums and various sectors including culture, heritage, tourism and Wellington civic institutions. In the coming months the National Council of Women will hold briefing meetings for their member organisations in Auckland and Christchurch.

A primary objective of the He Tohu exhibition is to provide enhanced learning opportunities for students between 10 and 15 years. It is hoped the exhibition will become a “must see” for school groups visiting Wellington.

For those who are not able to visit in person, the exhibition’s online site will provide a wealth of learning material about the history and ongoing significance of the documents to our national story.

As well as developing resources and onsite programmes that will complement a visit to the exhibition, the National Library of New Zealand’s Service to Schools programme is working closely with other institutions to create collaborative programmes that can extend a visit to He Tohu. For example, educators at the National Library and Parliament are planning a joint programme that supports students to explore our nation’s constitutional arrangements.

Home of the He Tohu exhibition – the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, in Molesworth Street, Wellington.

National Library site will provide greater access to our important constitutional documents

Our nation’s important constitutional documents will be more accessible when the He Tohu exhibition opens at the National Library of New Zealand, Wellington, in early 2017.

The documents, each of which helps shape our nation, are:

• 1835 He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni - Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand
• 1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Treaty of Waitangi
• 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition – Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine

The exhibition is currently under construction on the library’s ground floor and promises to be an exceptional space to view New Zealand’s documentary heritage.

“It will greatly enhance the public’s access to these precious national taonga through more space and extended opening to six days per week,” said Marilyn Little, Archives New Zealand’s Chief Archivist.

While the new exhibition will be housed in the National Library, the documents remain the statutory responsibility of Archives New Zealand. Both organisations fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Internal Affairs.

The He Tohu exhibition will offer on-site and on-line learning experiences about how the taonga represent moments of critical historical importance in New Zealand’s development and the ongoing significance of these documents to our nation.

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For further information, please go to dia.govt.nz/Archive-Exhibition-Project
or contact hetohu@dia.govt.nz