{"id":{"repo_id":"otago-polytech","oai_identifier":"oai:researchbank.ac.nz:10652/6855"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/otago-polytech/oai:researchbank.ac.nz:10652/6855","repository":{"repo_id":"otago-polytech","name":"Otago Polytechnic","base_url":"https://www.researchbank.ac.nz/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"An ecosystem for the sentient object - Two new taxonomic models for New Zealand museums","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.","abstract_html":"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.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Papps, Sally-Ann"],"institution":"Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga","degree_name":"Master of Professional Practice","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025","date_published":"2025","updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:28:17Z","subjects":["museums","collections","ecosystems","tāonga","taxonomy","Māori"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["CC BY-NC-ND Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6855","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Papps, Sally-Ann"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-06-16T03:32:42Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-06-16T03:32:42Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Professional Practice"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["museums","collections","ecosystems","tāonga","taxonomy","Māori"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["CC BY-NC-ND Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6855"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["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."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An ecosystem for the sentient object - Two new taxonomic models for New Zealand museums"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Papps, Sally-Ann"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-06-16T03:32:42Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-06-16T03:32:42Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025"],"dc:description.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."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6855"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:rights":["CC BY-NC-ND Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International"],"dc:subject":["museums","collections","ecosystems","tāonga","taxonomy","Māori"],"dc:title":["An ecosystem for the sentient object - Two new taxonomic models for New Zealand museums"],"dc:type":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Professional Practice"],"thesis:institution_name":["Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:28:17Z"}