Museums, nations, communities: historicising the late 20th century redevelopment projects at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Abstract

In Canada and New Zealand, museums' social obligations and their role in the production of national identity were key talking points in the late twentieth century. The redevelopment projects that took place in the 1980s and 1990s at the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) reflected these concerns. This dissertation provides an overview of the Canadian and New Zealand experiences, and explores two case studies that show how institutional rhetoric was put into practice. It considers the question of how and why these new national museums were reinvented at this time. In doing so, it seeks to offer an alternative to highly theorised studies of new museums and identity formation through an empirical analysis of each institution in its own social and historical context. This study uses a mixed-method, qualitative approach that incorporates primary documents, interviews, theoretical and historical literature, and newspaper and journal articles. Using these diverse sources, the research explores the parallel histories of national museums and of their countries, underscoring the point that redevelopment projects are driven by a variety of complex factors. It uses detailed case studies of two community-based projects within major exhibitions in the CMC and Te Papa: The Raven's Village and Makotukutuku wharepuni. The last chapter deals with the issue of national museums and community inclusion as it pertains to sensitive issues of power and representation between post-settler nations and indigenous communities. This dissertation presents a more holistic view of museum redevelopment projects' complex emergence, underpinnings, development and outcomes. It concludes that new national museums should be seen as both products and processes, diverse institutions which shape and are shaped by many factors both local and global. Despite their differences, both the CMC and Te Papa made a significant impact on the formation of national identity, intercultural communication, and education in their respective situations. Though focussed on two specific institutions, the overall findings are widely applicable, and recommend further research into the ways in which national museums can better work for the people they represent as a forum for debating national and community relations.