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A long-serving member of Te Papa’s Māori team, Arapata Hakiwai, has been appointed the national museum’s kaihautu, responsible for bicultural leadership alongside its chief executive.
Mr Hakiwai, from Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, and Ngāi Tahu, is currently the museum’s head of Mātauranga Māori.
He is leading a world-wide research project to identify and create a digital database of Māori and Moriori tāonga in museums and galleries nationally and internationally.
He has also worked on the repatriation of koiwi held overseas.
The former Wellington High School teacher started his museum career in 1989 as a trainee exhibition curator on a project involving both the then-National Museum of New Zealand and the Australian Museum.
The CEO, Michael Houlihan, says he is looking forward to working alongside Mr Hakiwai as he leads the development of Te Papa’s Mana Tāonga capability and provides oversight of the iwi relationship programme.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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