Seminal national exhibition, He Tohu, opened today

He Tohu, a new permanent exhibition of three nation-building constitutional documents that shape Aotearoa New Zealand, was officially opened by Her Excellency, the Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, GNZM QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand, today at the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.

The exhibition, which opens to the public from Saturday 20 May, has been developed in partnership between Crown and Māori, with significant input from women’s groups.

It features:

• 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

“That He Tohu was developed as a partnership between the Crown and Māori is very important as it exemplifies the unique and enduring partnership that has shaped our nation.

“He Tohu preserves our fragile and precious documentary heritage for future generations; enhancing learning opportunities for young New Zealanders and improving access to these taonga for all New Zealanders and visitors to our country,” says Mr Dunne.

He Tohu features a state-of-the-art conservation space, inspired by a waka huia or treasure box. This document room is surrounded by an interactive area, allowing visitors to engage with the documents as never before, thanks to extensive research into the life-stories of the documents’ signatories.

“The exhibition’s on-site and on-line learning experiences and resources focus on the history of the documents and their on-going significance.

“A comprehensive curriculum-aligned schools programme has been developed by the National Library of New Zealand to support young people to connect and engage with the three documents.

“These are living documents and they have the ability to teach, inspire and move people. This is a remarkable exhibition, and I am certain those who experience it will feel the same,” Mr Dunne said.

He Tohu will be open six days a week and entry is free.

He Tohu is presented by Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga and the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, both of which are part of the Department of Internal Affairs. The documents remain under the guardianship and care of the Chief Archivist and Archives New Zealand.

Ka huaki te whakaaturanga ā-motu whai mana a He Tohu i tēnei rā

I whakatuwherahia a He Tohu, he whakaaturanga tūmau hou o ngā tuhinga tūāpapa e toru i puta ai tō tātau whenua e te Amorangi Nui, te Hōnore Kahurangi Patsy Reddy, GNZM QSO, te Kāwana Tianara o Aotearoa, i Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa i tēnei rā.

He mea waihanga tahi te whakaaturanga, ka whakatuwherahia ki te iwi whānui ā te Rāhoroi, te 20 Haratua, i waenga i te Karauna me te iwi Māori, me ngā āwhina nui a ngā rōpū wāhine.

Kei roto ko te:

o   1835 He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni

o   1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi

o   1893 Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine

“He mea waihanga a He Tohu hei kaupapa pātui i waenga i te Karauna me te iwi Māori, ā, he tino hira ina ka tohu i te whanaungatanga ahurei, pūmau i puta ai tō tātau whenua.

“E rokiroki ana He Tohu i tō tātau tuku ihotanga ā-tuhi kopīpī, puiaki hoki mō ngā reanga o muri mai; he whakarākei i ngā whai wāhitanga akoranga mō ngā tamariki o Aotearoa me te whakapai ake i te āhei atu ki ēnei taonga mō te iwi whānui o Aotearoa me ngā manuhiri ki tēnei whenua," te kī a Dunne.

E whakaatu ana a He Tohu i tētahi wāhi atawhai tino hou rawa, i ahu mai te whakaaro nei i te waka huia. E pae ana i tēnei rūma tuhinga ko tētahi wāhi pāhekoheko, e āhei ai ngā manuhiri ki te pāhekoheko me ngā tuhinga, nā ngā rangahau whānui ki ngā kōrero tūturu mō te hunga nā rātau i waitohu, ā, he mea hou tēnei.

"E aro ana ngā wheako o te whakaaturanga, wheako akoranga tuihono hoki me ngā rauemi ki te hītori o ngā tuhinga me tō rātau hiranga pūmau.

"Kua waihangatia he kaupapa whānui e hāngai ana ki te marautanga o ngā kura e Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa hei tautoko i ngā taiohi ki te tūhono me te pāhekoheko me ngā tuhinga e toru.

"He tuhinga ora ēnei, ka mutu he ako, he whakahihiri, he titi hoki ki te whatumanawa. He tino āhuatanga tēnei whakaaturanga, ā, kāore e kore ka pēnei ai ngā whakaaro o te hunga ka whai wāhi mai," te kī Mr Dunne.

Ka tuwhera a He Tohu mō ngā rā e ono i te wiki, ka mutu kāore he utu.

E whakaaturia ana a He Tohu e Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga me Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, kei raro ēnei whakahaere e rua i Te Tari Taiwhenua. Ka noho ēnei tuhinga ki raro i te mana tiaki o te Kaipūranga Matua me Te Rua Mahara o Te Kāwanatanga.