Auckland War Memorial Museum has proposed that it shift from being a 'colonial' museum to a "te Tiriti-led museum" in its new Draft Annual Plan released last month.

"Auckland War Memorial Museum's plan to transform into a tikanga-led social impact organisation' stinks of the politically correct mission creep that already besets too many of our public institutions," says ACT Veterans spokesperson Mark Cameron.

"Updating the Museum for diverse communities is one thing, but this plan goes further.  Museum leadership is explicitly planning to 'disrupt' not just 'colonial narratives', but colonial structures themselves.

"What an incredible disrespect to the fallen servicemen for whom the museum is named, who laid their lives down for the Crown and colonial institutions like our Parliamentary democracy.

"ACT says publicly funded museums should teach, not preach. Museum leadership should have a laser focus on preserving our history and taonga, making it accessible and relevant to all Kiwis while honouring the memory of those who have come before.

"Instead, the Museum wants to adopt a 'proactive' approach to repatriation of its artifacts, meaning they'll give away their collections even if they're not asked.  What a massive own-goal.

"ACT believes our colonial, pioneering history is something we can value alongside the stories of Māori and those of more recent arrivals. New Zealander are sick of the division and Museum leadership need to ditch this divisive plan."

A spokesperson for the Museum told ZB Plus, "The change ... is to be more transparent with communities about our work in this area and understanding the barriers to requests for repatriations. This is in line with what many Museums world-wide are doing. We are keeping up with a global professional shift." 

"Auckland Museum was established in 1852 and when the building in the Domain was opened in 1929, it became Auckland War Memorial Museum.  

"It remains an encyclopaedic museum with a wide range of topics within its scope, and includes particular galleries and programmes focused on war history,” the spokesperson continued.  

"It is a simple fact of the museum’s history that it was born in colonial times, and this context has influenced its character and makeup. 

"There has been some thoughtful discussion recently on the role of museums in general, and the ownership of objects that may have been acquired without proper permission many years in the past. Museums around the world have their legacies rooted in colonialism, and this is an important and ongoing conversation for us to be part of." 

The plan was adopted for consultation on December 7 and published on January 15.  It is due to be adopted in April and is due to be reviewed at a board meeting on February 29. 

Public submissions have now closed.  Anyone who has made a submission is invited to appear and be heard in relation to their submission on 29 February 2024 at Auckland Museum. 

The Museum is subject to the Auckland War Memorial Museum Act 1996 which provides for the maintenance, management, development, ownership, and funding of the Auckland War Memorial Museum and its contents.