A $10 million investment in Budget 2026 is being welcomed as a major commitment to the future of Māori art, cultural leadership, and the international recognition of taonga Māori.
Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust says the funding will help strengthen Māori artistic excellence and expand opportunities for Māori artists, curators, and cultural leaders both nationally and internationally.
The Trust says the investment supports the long-term care, protection, and global advancement of taonga Māori, while helping ensure Māori knowledge systems and creative traditions continue to thrive for future generations.
Te Māori Trust Deputy Chair Ngātaiharuru Taepa says the funding reflects growing recognition of the cultural significance and artistic excellence of taonga Māori, and will help create stronger international pathways for Māori-led cultural exchange and collaboration.
The announcement comes as the legacy of the groundbreaking Te Māori exhibition continues to influence museums, galleries, and Indigenous cultural movements around the world.
The original Te Māori exhibition toured the United States between 1984 and 1987, opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York before travelling to other major institutions. The exhibition marked a historic shift in the global understanding of Māori art and taonga, presenting them not as historical artefacts, but as living expressions of culture, identity, whakapapa, and mātauranga Māori.
The exhibition also transformed relationships between museums and iwi, reshaping how taonga Māori were cared for, displayed, and interpreted internationally.
The Trust says that legacy remains central to its future direction, with the new investment expected to support the development of international partnerships, fellowships, exhibitions, and leadership opportunities for Māori artists and cultural practitioners.
Last month, Te Māori Trust partnered with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to launch a fellowship programme with the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford. The museum holds significant collections of taonga Māori, and the fellowship aims to place Māori artists and curators within one of the world’s most influential museum institutions.
The Trust says opportunities such as the Pitt Rivers fellowship create space for Māori voices and perspectives to lead conversations internationally around Indigenous knowledge, cultural stewardship, and museum practice.
The funding is also expected to support emerging Māori artists and create opportunities for new taonga and contemporary Māori artistic expression to flourish alongside the protection of ancestral treasures.
For many within the arts and cultural sector, the investment signals growing recognition that Māori art and mātauranga Māori are not only central to Aotearoa’s identity, but also increasingly influential on the global stage.
The Budget commitment comes amid wider discussions about the importance of protecting Indigenous cultural heritage, supporting Māori-led storytelling, and ensuring future generations remain connected to their taonga, language, and artistic traditions.
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