The History of Protest in Aotearoa New Zealand

Delve into Aotearoa New Zealand’s history and heritage with Te Papa

For 25 years, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa has been working to understand and celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s rich culture and heritage. On this four-week course, Te Papa will introduce you to a crucial element of that heritage: activism and protest.

From historic protests to protect Māori land rights to modern-day queer and environmental activism, you’ll explore a variety of social movements in Aotearoa New Zealand. As you do, you’ll get to discover some of the many fascinating objects in the Te Papa collection.

Explore Māori history and activism

In Week 1 of the course, you’ll look back over a century and a half of Māori protest over customary land rights in Aotearoa New Zealand.

You’ll examine the motivations behind the Māori land rights protests, their effect on Treaty of Waitangi relations, and their impact on current approaches to acknowledging Aotearoa New Zealand’s colonial past.

Discover movements to promote women’s rights, labour rights, and civil rights in Aotearoa New Zealand

You’ll also explore a wide range of other social movements in Aotearoa New Zealand.

From women’s liberation to apartheid resistance, you’ll learn how protest has helped shape social change in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Look to the future of activism in modern-day Aotearoa New Zealand

In the final two weeks of the course, you’ll consider more recent protest movements, from environmental activism and queer rights to the campaign for a Nuclear-free New Zealand. You’ll discover how art, song, and modern media have been used as a powerful form of social protest, while discussing the role of museums in modern activism.

You’ll finish the course with an understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s rich and complex past, and a sensitivity to current social and cultural issues.

This course is designed for anyone interested in gaining insight into a crucial part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s history and culture.

Anyone with an interest in museums, cultural heritage, the arts, social movements, and the wider Pacific region will benefit from this course.

This course is designed for anyone interested in gaining insight into a crucial part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s history and culture.

Anyone with an interest in museums, cultural heritage, the arts, social movements, and the wider Pacific region will benefit from this course.

• Compare different forms of protest
• Describe examples of New Zealand protest art
• Explain the historical motivations behind protests surronding Māori land loss
• Reflect on how protest history has shaped New Zealand's national identity
• Summarise the most significant protest movements in New Zealand's history
• Reflect on the role of activist museums in society