New tech to archive old objects online
Two Ma¯ ori carvers will head to the Ross Sea Marine Reserve and complete the first example of traditional Ma¯ori carving in Antarctica.
The kaupapa (project) is part of a five-year ma¯tauranga programme with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa), which aims to incorporate Ma¯ori knowledge into scientific research.
The project began when the Ross Sea was formed, becoming the second largest marine sanctuary in the world, which enabled Niwa to consider New Zealand’s role in giving the reserve a new understanding.
‘‘We had the opportunity to ask what Ma¯ori concerns and values were in the Antarctic region, and toi whakairo [carving] was a vehicle for reaching values and aspirations’’, Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research ecologist Priscilla Wehi said.
‘‘The toi whakairo that the team have been working on provides a clear challenge to global leadership to protect the environment,’’ Wehi said.
Southland carver James York, of Colac Bay, did not expect to be part of the trip until a colleague was over-committed and he got the call to be involved in the kaupapa.
York had witnessed the effects of climate change first hand as rising sea levels and king tides caused coastal erosion on Colac Foreshore Rd, where he lives.
‘‘That’s what I’m most interested in getting more familiar with while we’re down there. How is what’s happening in Antarctica affecting the sea and therefore, the rest of the world?’’
The Nga¯i Tahu carver, with more than 30 years experience, said: ‘‘It’s a great opportunity ... But its not about me, it’s about putting out a challenge to authorities about climate change’’.
York has been working on the carving for 10 weeks. In an old building in Gore, reminiscent of a war bunker, a team of archivists have been painstakingly cataloguing and digitising hundreds of thousands of items in Southland’s heritage collections for the region and the world.
Project Ark has been keeping three fulltime staff busy for the past few months, in what is a first for New Zealand.
The team consists of collection cataloguers Tiffany Jenks and Laurence Le Ber, collections photographer Dani Lucas, and project co-ordinator/Southland Museum and Art Gallery’s manager David Luoni.
The aim of the two-year exercise is to enable people to use web-based collection cataloguing system eHive to find articles of interest from the region’s 14 museums.
Overseen by the Southland Regional Heritage Committee, the project is a collaboration between the Invercargill City Council and the Southland and Gore district councils.
Being able to share the things that matter the most to New Zealanders is the driver behind the project, Luoni said.
By late December, the team had completed what was dubbed the ‘‘First 50’’ exercise for about 12 museums, which means there will be more than 550 of Southland’s heritage treasures online.
The plan for January 2019 to July 2020 is to catalogue, image, and pack the collection at the Wyndham and Districts Historical Society museum.
Each museum will have its own digital collection – it was important museums retained their own independent collection databases, Luoni said.
That collection would be also be contained in a national digital collection accessible nationally or worldwide.
‘‘Project Ark’s goal is to make Southland’s rich heritage available to the region and the world.’’