Strengthening Indigenous‑led global partnerships
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust to host delegation from Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford Delegation and formalise Māori Curatorial Partnership
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust will jointly welcome a distinguished delegation from the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford to Aotearoa this month, marking a significant milestone in indigenous-led international collaboration.
The visit will culminate in a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Māngere campus on Thursday, 30 April 2026.
Central to this partnership is the establishment of two Māori Curatorial Residencies with the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. The residencies signal a shared commitment to advancing Māori curatorial practice, cultural stewardship, and the exchange of knowledge through international partnership.
“This relationship reflects the strength of our collective commitment to advancing mātauranga Māori on a global stage,” says Evie O’Brien, Te Kura Toroa – Chief Executive Officer of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
“Through this partnership with Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust and Pitt Rivers Museum, we are creating meaningful opportunities for indigenous knowledge systems to be shared, respected and strengthened across international contexts. It also provides an extraordinary opportunity for our Māori residents to undertake world-class learning through the mentorship from Pitt Rivers Museum staff.”
The formal ceremony will acknowledge the relationship between Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust and Pitt Rivers Museum, and the shared vision underpinning the residencies and future collaboration.
Che Wilson, Chair of Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust, said the partnership represents an important step forward in the global recognition of tiaki taonga and Māori cultural leadership.
“This collaboration is grounded in tikanga and our shared responsibility as kaitiaki of taonga and knowledge,” says Wilson.
“The establishment of these residencies with Pitt Rivers Museum creates space for Māori voices, perspectives and practices to be present and active within international institutions, while strengthening relationships based on mutual respect and learning.”
With high-profile visitors from Aotearoa and the United Kingdom expected to attend, the pōwhiri and signing ceremony represent a broader kaupapa centred on connection, reciprocity and the ongoing revitalisation of mātauranga Māori within global contexts.
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