Auckland Museum Appoints Linnae Pohatu Tumuaki Director

Auckland Museum Appoints Linnae Pohatu To Tumuaki Director Role

Linnae Pohatu has joined Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira in the new role of Tumuaki Director.

The position was created to enhance the Museum’s relationships with Maori and to help extend the range of services the museum offers to the public.

Museum Director Roy Clare said the role is crucial to the Museum’s future plans.

“The rich diversity of Auckland’s people is a source of energy and inspiration, in which Pacific cultures and especially Maori hold a special place. This new senior appointment reflects the museum’s strategic commitment to involving more Maori in decision-making and to ensuring that we are genuinely a museum for all Aucklanders,” Mr Clare said.

The Museum’s legislated Maori advisory committee, Taumata-a-Iwi, was closely involved in designing the position and making the appointment.

Linnae Pohatu graduated from Massey University in Palmerston North in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Maori Studies. She followed this with an honours degree completed in 1996.

She started her career as a clerk in Parliament’s Select Committee Office and then as a policy analyst at the Office of Treaty Settlements before entering the museum sector in 2001, spending three years as a bicultural policy analyst at Te Papa Tongawera.

From 2004 till 2011 Linnae was the general manager Maori at the government agency Career Services.

Of Ngati Porou, Ngai Tahu, Rongowhakaata and Ngai Tamanuhiri descent Linnae says she is excited about the Tumuaki Director position. “Auckland Museum has such a critical role in telling the story of Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland), Aotearoa New Zealand and its many peoples to the world. I look forward to enabling these narratives, particularly those of Iwi and Maori, to be told in a way that excites and informs people.”

Last year the Museum appointed Haare Williams to the role of Pae Arahi - Maori & Partnerships Development Executive. Linnae will work alongside Haare to strengthen Maori values within the Museum and form collaborative external partnerships with Maori people and their communities. Linnae took up her position this week.

ENDS

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