title: A sense of Place: A study of nineteenth and twentieth century material culture within the public historic site of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga

authors: Stegen, Elisabeth

subjects: material culture

abstract: This thesis examines the material culture of a public historic space, assessing how the meanings embedded in objects may develop more nuanced narratives in the house museum. 
The material culture in this thesis is part of the collection of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, a house museum in Tauranga, New Zealand. The museum offers a history of Māori settlement, bi-cultural relations between Māori and Pākehā, the Land Wars and the changing socio-cultural landscape of Tauranga from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. 

The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga is largely comprised of original objects of the successive residents. My research focused on three art forms: an Aeolian harp, a crazy quilt, and a carved picture frame. Art is a medium through which people express who they are; by studying the material culture of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, we recognise the larger events, social patterns, and cultural trends that impacted individual lives. Through these items, we may compare the cultural ideals with the more complex realities of residents’ lives, noting the tensions, reconfigurations, and nuances as cultural practices were transported, adopted and adapted within the imperial context. 

There has been a growing desire, and debate, around teaching a public history that focuses on New Zealand, acknowledging the difficult moments of New Zealand’s past. This study 
demonstrates that within the house museum stories may be shared in which the specific histories of a local setting are also interwoven with the broader context of nation and 
imperialism. 

Studies in New Zealand have explored the relationship between material culture and the stories we tell in historical sites. The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, as a house museum, has two 
elements that have contributed to this approach. Firstly, the collection is interpreted without a glass barrier: this study expands this interpretation by reflecting on the sensory 
characteristics of objects as a part of the museum interpretation. Secondly, The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga is a museum comprised of buildings and a garden environment entwined with the same contextual history. This work explores the connecting threads between the interior domestic space and the exterior garden site, examining the socio-cultural landscape in connection with the changing environmental landscape. As the museum is a space which has often portrayed nation and settler belonging, this history develops a more complicated narrative around settler belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand.

text: A sense of Place: A study of nineteenth and twentieth century material culture within the public historic site of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga This thesis examines the material culture of a public historic space, assessing how the meanings embedded in objects may develop more nuanced narratives in the house museum. 
The material culture in this thesis is part of the collection of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, a house museum in Tauranga, New Zealand. The museum offers a history of Māori settlement, bi-cultural relations between Māori and Pākehā, the Land Wars and the changing socio-cultural landscape of Tauranga from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. 

The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga is largely comprised of original objects of the successive residents. My research focused on three art forms: an Aeolian harp, a crazy quilt, and a carved picture frame. Art is a medium through which people express who they are; by studying the material culture of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, we recognise the larger events, social patterns, and cultural trends that impacted individual lives. Through these items, we may compare the cultural ideals with the more complex realities of residents’ lives, noting the tensions, reconfigurations, and nuances as cultural practices were transported, adopted and adapted within the imperial context. 

There has been a growing desire, and debate, around teaching a public history that focuses on New Zealand, acknowledging the difficult moments of New Zealand’s past. This study 
demonstrates that within the house museum stories may be shared in which the specific histories of a local setting are also interwoven with the broader context of nation and 
imperialism. 

Studies in New Zealand have explored the relationship between material culture and the stories we tell in historical sites. The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, as a house museum, has two 
elements that have contributed to this approach. Firstly, the collection is interpreted without a glass barrier: this study expands this interpretation by reflecting on the sensory 
characteristics of objects as a part of the museum interpretation. Secondly, The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga is a museum comprised of buildings and a garden environment entwined with the same contextual history. This work explores the connecting threads between the interior domestic space and the exterior garden site, examining the socio-cultural landscape in connection with the changing environmental landscape. As the museum is a space which has often portrayed nation and settler belonging, this history develops a more complicated narrative around settler belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand.

year: 2024

title: ‘Generation X Games’, action sports and the Olympic movement: Understanding the cultural politics of incorporation

authors: Thorpe, Holly Aysha

subjects: action sports

abstract: An important and mounting issue for the contemporary Olympic Movement is how to remain relevant to younger generations. Cognizant of the diminishing numbers of youth viewers, and the growing success of the X Games – the ‘Olympics’ of action sport – the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set about adding a selection of youth-oriented action sports into the Olympic programme. In this article we offer the first in-depth discussion of the cultural politics of action sports Olympic incorporation via case studies of windsurfing, snowboarding, and bicycle motocross (BMX). Adopting a post-subcultural theoretical approach, our analysis reveals that the incorporation process, and forms of (sub)cultural contestation, is in each case unique, based on a complex and shifting set of intra- and inter-politics between key agents, namely the IOC and associated sporting bodies, media conglomerates, and the action sport cultures and industries. In so doing, our article illustrates some of the complex power struggles involved in modernizing the Olympic Games in the 21st century.

text: ‘Generation X Games’, action sports and the Olympic movement: Understanding the cultural politics of incorporation An important and mounting issue for the contemporary Olympic Movement is how to remain relevant to younger generations. Cognizant of the diminishing numbers of youth viewers, and the growing success of the X Games – the ‘Olympics’ of action sport – the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set about adding a selection of youth-oriented action sports into the Olympic programme. In this article we offer the first in-depth discussion of the cultural politics of action sports Olympic incorporation via case studies of windsurfing, snowboarding, and bicycle motocross (BMX). Adopting a post-subcultural theoretical approach, our analysis reveals that the incorporation process, and forms of (sub)cultural contestation, is in each case unique, based on a complex and shifting set of intra- and inter-politics between key agents, namely the IOC and associated sporting bodies, media conglomerates, and the action sport cultures and industries. In so doing, our article illustrates some of the complex power struggles involved in modernizing the Olympic Games in the 21st century.

year: 2011

title: Investment in Authentic Sustainable Cultural Tourism : Planning for the Future Benefit of Waikato-Tainui along the Waikato River, Case Studies at Tūrangawaewae and Te Awamārahi Marae

authors: Cooper, Mei Te Werawera Te Reokaha

abstract: “Tērā ōkū hoa kei ngā tōpito e whā o te ao - My friends will come from all parts of the world” – Kīngi Tāwhiao 1822-1894

This doctorate is guided by the visions of the second Māori king, Kīngi Tāwhiao, which reflect the importance of global connections, relationships (Turongo House, 2000:109) and investment to achieve the ultimate goal of authentic or ‘true’ sustainability throughout the world.  The strategic process will require a balance between humans and the natural environment to ensure long-term growth and survival.  This research will investigate whether investment in Authentic Sustainable Cultural Tourism (ASCT) will provide long-term and sustainable benefits for tribes throughout New Zealand, using a study of Waikato-Tainui.  ASCT, if practiced correctly, must be driven by whānau of marae, hapū and iwi alongside ideal long-term partners to ultimately achieve indigenous autonomy. ASCT prioritises the wellbeing of indigenous and local communities, cultural preservation and environmental sustainability while providing secure economic returns to key stakeholders. 

Today, tourism is New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing industry; total tourism expenditure is forecast to increase from $34.7b in 2016, an increase of 12.2% from the previous year, to $41b by 2025.  The natural landscape is the main reason why international travellers visit New Zealand, followed by an interest in Māori culture (Tourism Industry Association, 2015).  Unfortunately, there is sparse funding for Māori tourism development (New Zealand Māori Tourism, 2015; Goulter, 2015) compared to mainstream tourism and Māori are the most impoverished people in New Zealand (Statistics New Zealand, 2011).  Cultural tourism has existed in New Zealand for more than 150 years and has a vital role in New Zealand’s tourism industry.  Te Kīngitanga and the Waikato River are the main aspects that make Waikato unique in New Zealand, however, there is very little cultural tourism in the region.  As a descendant of Waikato-Tainui, I work with my people at the marae level to inform tribal governance about the significant opportunities available to whānau compared to current mainstream investments by the tribe. 

Using Kaupapa Māori and critical realism, the methods used in this research include an investigation of government tourism organisations, interviews with Waikato-Tainui governance groups, case studies at Tūrangawaewae and Te Awamārahi Marae, case studies at fourteen successful Māori tourism providers throughout New Zealand, and an international comparison of best practices in indigenous tourism.

text: Investment in Authentic Sustainable Cultural Tourism : Planning for the Future Benefit of Waikato-Tainui along the Waikato River, Case Studies at Tūrangawaewae and Te Awamārahi Marae “Tērā ōkū hoa kei ngā tōpito e whā o te ao - My friends will come from all parts of the world” – Kīngi Tāwhiao 1822-1894

This doctorate is guided by the visions of the second Māori king, Kīngi Tāwhiao, which reflect the importance of global connections, relationships (Turongo House, 2000:109) and investment to achieve the ultimate goal of authentic or ‘true’ sustainability throughout the world.  The strategic process will require a balance between humans and the natural environment to ensure long-term growth and survival.  This research will investigate whether investment in Authentic Sustainable Cultural Tourism (ASCT) will provide long-term and sustainable benefits for tribes throughout New Zealand, using a study of Waikato-Tainui.  ASCT, if practiced correctly, must be driven by whānau of marae, hapū and iwi alongside ideal long-term partners to ultimately achieve indigenous autonomy. ASCT prioritises the wellbeing of indigenous and local communities, cultural preservation and environmental sustainability while providing secure economic returns to key stakeholders. 

Today, tourism is New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing industry; total tourism expenditure is forecast to increase from $34.7b in 2016, an increase of 12.2% from the previous year, to $41b by 2025.  The natural landscape is the main reason why international travellers visit New Zealand, followed by an interest in Māori culture (Tourism Industry Association, 2015).  Unfortunately, there is sparse funding for Māori tourism development (New Zealand Māori Tourism, 2015; Goulter, 2015) compared to mainstream tourism and Māori are the most impoverished people in New Zealand (Statistics New Zealand, 2011).  Cultural tourism has existed in New Zealand for more than 150 years and has a vital role in New Zealand’s tourism industry.  Te Kīngitanga and the Waikato River are the main aspects that make Waikato unique in New Zealand, however, there is very little cultural tourism in the region.  As a descendant of Waikato-Tainui, I work with my people at the marae level to inform tribal governance about the significant opportunities available to whānau compared to current mainstream investments by the tribe. 

Using Kaupapa Māori and critical realism, the methods used in this research include an investigation of government tourism organisations, interviews with Waikato-Tainui governance groups, case studies at Tūrangawaewae and Te Awamārahi Marae, case studies at fourteen successful Māori tourism providers throughout New Zealand, and an international comparison of best practices in indigenous tourism.

year: 2018