An ecosystem for the sentient object - Two new taxonomic models for New Zealand museums
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Other Title
Authors
Papps, Sally-Ann
Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)
Degree
Master of Professional Practice
Grantor
Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga
Date
2025
Supervisors
Kirkwood, Jo
Forbes, Alexa
Forbes, Alexa
Type
Masters Thesis
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
museums
collections
ecosystems
tāonga
taxonomy
Māori
collections
ecosystems
tāonga
taxonomy
Māori
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
Citation
Papps, S-A. (2025). An ecosystem for the sentient object - Two new taxonomic models for New Zealand museums [Master's thesis, Otago Polytechnic]. Research Bank. https://doi.org/10.34074/thes.6855
Abstract
If it could be demonstrated that both indigenous and western artefacts possess a life essence, what kind of ecosystem would they live in, and could this premise be applied to better care for our collections in the wider museum context?
In my thesis, I explore what can be learnt from the cultural and spiritual traditions of indigenous artefacts, (taoka), and how we can adapt this ontological approach to western objects so that we may better understand and care for all our collections. From this, a new taxonomy, ordering of collections, can be formed - one that breaks away from colonial museum conventions.
I propose a new museum model that reorders the grouping and storing of collections by prioritising object-genealogies over museum nomenclature. The model realigns traditional museum systems to better fit and understand the needs of the cultural artefacts and objects in our care, allowing us to consider how object-genealogies can lead to a more logical and culturally appropriate approach to storing museum collections.
The approach has demanded a qualitative methodology, achieved by introducing researched indigenous principles around ‘living’ artefacts, which are then paralleled with western object- narrative case studies to prove the existence of object-ontologies. By prioritising object- genealogies over type, a taxonomy that takes into account all objects as living beings can be created.
This new taxonomy respects indigenous traditions and ensures that all things (humans, taoka, objects) remain connected. While taoka have always carried a life-essence, the reframing of western objects in this perspective provides a way forward toward a fresh perspective for any museum looking for a less colonial approach to collection-care.
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CC BY-NC-ND Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International