Trevor Howse, 2013. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Collection, Ngāi Tahu Archive, 2017-0178
The ability of Trevor Howse to unearth files about Ngāi Tahu land, whakapapa and history, and to bring them back into the hands of the iwi, led him to be affectionately known as "The Weka".
The vast quantity of material uncovered by Trevor became the cornerstone of the Ngāi Tahu Archive, which reflected his assertion that Ngāi Tahu people should be able to access the knowledge to ‘which they’re entitled, because that information . . . belongs out with the people. "It should not be locked away in museums and all that sort of thing, academia and all those other [institutions] . . . It belongs to the people.’.
Throughout his retirement years, Trevor became actively involved in Kaupapa Taiao, and through this took a leading role in establishing the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Project. “Ultimately we will be judged by our peers at the marae. This mahi will empower our people. I have waited a long time to see this happen.
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