ACCESSIBLE, IMPORTANT GUIDE TO THE TAONGA RELATING TO THE NEW ZEALAND WARS HELD BY TE PAPA
The wars of 1845–72 were described by James Belich as ‘bitter and bloody struggles, as important to New Zealand as were the Civil Wars to England and the United States’. The conflict’s themes of land and sovereignty continue to resonate today.
This richly illustrated book, developed in partnership with iwi, delves into Te Papa’s Mātauranga Māori, History and Art collections to explore taonga and artefacts intimately connected with the key events and players associated with the New Zealand Wars, sparking conversation and debate and shedding new light on our troubled colonial past.
Contributing essays from Basil Keane, Arini Loader, Danny Keenan, Jade Kake, Mike Ross, Paul Meredith, Monty Soutar, Puawai Cairns and Ria Hall.
 

Matiu Baker is Curator Historic Maori Visual Materials at Te Papa.
Rebecca Rice is the Curator of New Zealand Historical Art at Te Papa. Her research includes New Zealand's representation at international exhibitions, particularly through the displays of fine art, photography and ethnographic artefacts, as well as how artists used these exhibitions to promote their own practice.
Katie Cooper is Curator New Zealand Histories and Culture at Te Papa. Her research interest is the material culture of domestic life, focusing in particular on nineteenth-century New Zealand. She is also engaged in ongoing research into the social and cultural history of rural New Zealand.
Michael Fitzgerald is a former History Curator at Te Papa who is now a Research Fellow at the Museum.