Using history for tourism or using tourism for history? Examples from Aotearoa/New Zealand

Postcolonial theory accepts that histories are contested and tend to be dominated by the coloniser. With indigenous societies obtaining greater access to resources, there is an emphasis placed on tourism as a means of economic development. While economic development is important, tourism also provides an opportunity for indigenous people to have their rights heard, their lands re-established and their histories legitimised. This paper provides a historical context to Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand and their use of tourism as a means of asserting their historical presence in a modern land – using tourism for history. The examples include the re-naming of Mt Cook National Park to Aoraki/Mt Cook; The formation of Whakarewarewa Thermal Village in response to a perceived lack of appreciation and financial consideration from the government run Māori Arts and Crafts Institute; Te Hana Te Ao Marama, a twenty-first-century purpose built community-centred facility that is also designed to accommodate, educate and entertain tourists. Bringing together existing research, it is argued that tourism plays an important role for indigenous societies in that it can act as a tool to re-claim place, re-establish cultural identity and may ultimately re-write history.