Ministry for Culture & Heritage of New Zealand

05/20/2022 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/19/2022 15:45

Shifting perspectives about colonial conflict: The Wairau Affray and The Battle of Boulcott's Farm

News: 20 May 2022

Wednesday 01 June 2022, 12:10 p.m. to 1.00 p.m.

This talk focusses on two significant conflicts between mana whenua and British and settler militia during the early stages of the New Zealand Wars and how they are remembered today. Interviews reveal how the Wairau Affray (1843) is remembered differently by settler and Indigenous people from the Marlborough region. Researcher observations are the basis for thinking about how sites associated with the Battle of Boulcott's Farm (1846) reflect settler perspectives about the past.

The research in this talk is part of a large-scale ethnographic study called He Taonga te Wareware? Remembering and Forgetting New Zealand's Colonial Past.

Image of Liana MacDonald (Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Koata).

About the speaker

Liana MacDonald (Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Koata) is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Victoria University of Wellington. She is interested in how racism, whiteness, and settler colonialism manifest in national institutions. Her current research explores possibilities for decolonial transformation in schools, particularly through land education.

When and where

Wednesday 1 June 2022, 12:10 p.m. to 1 p.m

Please come to the Auditorium (Taiwhanga Kauhau) on the lower ground floor, National Library Building, corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington.

These free Public History Talks are a collaboration between the National Library of New Zealand and Manatū Taonga/Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

There is no need to RSVP for this talk but please arrive early to ensure a prompt start. We look forward to seeing you at the Library!

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