Peter Dunne
Wellington, April 22, 2017
Three of New Zealands most precious constitutional documents were moved to a new location in a unique ceremonial procession in Wellington overnight.
Historic event
The 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 and 1893 Womens Suffrage Petition Te Petihana Whakamana Pti Wahine were moved from Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kwanatanga to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mtauranga o Aotearoa in preparation for the opening of He Tohu, the new permanent national exhibition of these iconic documents.
The development of He Tohu has been done in partnership between Crown and Mori, with todays historic move of the documents a reflection of that partnership.
Manawhenua iwi and I were joined for the ceremony by guests with strong connections to the documents, including iwi Mori, women with links to the Womens Suffrage Petition, and staff at Archives New Zealand and the National Library of New Zealand.
New Stage in history
This ceremony is a unique event in the history of this country, as it marks a new stage in the life of these three precious documents.
The new He Tohu exhibition will mean these taonga are accessible to more New Zealanders and visitors and enable greater engagement with these important documents, and the notable events in our history that they reflect.
The three documents were moved under tight security and strict archival conditions. In addition to the safe and secure transfer of the documents by Archives New Zealand, the move was of significance to Mori, representing a significant tikanga event to uplift the mana and tapu elements of these three taonga.
Spiritual guardians
A He Tohu tikanga group of Wellington Manawhenua, Ngpuhi-nui-tonu who regard themselves as spiritual guardians of the declaration and the treaty and Department of Internal Affairs representatives had a lead role in the move process.
The He Tohu exhibition at the National Library of New Zealand offers a stunning new state-of-the-art conservation space and visitor experience.
He Tohu has three objectives: preserving our fragile and invaluable 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
He Tohu will provide onsite and online learning experiences and resources for young New Zealanders, focussing on the history of the documents and their on-going significance to our national life. Visitors will be able to engage with the documents in new and exciting ways thanks to extensive research into the life-stories of the documents signatories.
He Tohu is presented by Archives New Zealand and the National Library of New Zealand, 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.
Peter Dunne is Internal Affairs Minister of New Zealand.
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