THURSDAY 27 JUNE 2024, 6PM
We announce with great pleasure that the noted historian Dame Claudia Orange DNZM OBE CRSNZ has agreed to give this year’s Founder Lecture. Encouraging discussion on the Treaty of Waitangi is a vital part of continuing efforts to fulfil the promise of the 1840 agreement. Dame Claudia argues that a broad public understanding of the changes that have occurred in the Māori-Crown relationship is essential in order for those relationships to grow. She says that an understanding of history is vital, and informed vigilance is necessary.
Dame Claudia completed her PhD in 1984 at the University of Auckland, and her doctoral thesis, The Treaty of Waitangi: a study of its making, interpretation and role in New Zealand history, was published in 1987, becoming both a popular success and definitive reference book for interpreting the relevance of Te Tiriti.
After several years as General Editor of the Dictionary of NZ Biography and Acting Chief Historian of the Historical Branch, Dept of Internal Affairs, Dame Claudia became Director of History and Pacific Cultures at Te Papa Tongarewa in 2003 and then, in 2009-2016, Head of Research. She is now an Honorary Research Fellow of Te Papa.
Put Thursday 27 June, at 6.00 pm, in your diary now!