Mina McKenzie

Mina Louise McKenzie née Gillespie (2 February 1930 – 11 March 1997) of Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi, and Rangitāne^[1] was a museum director in New Zealand and specifically Palmerston North. She was known to many as "Aunty Mina". She was the Curator at the Manawatū Museum (later Te Manawa) from June 1974 to 1978. From 1978 she served as the Manawatū Museum director until her retirement in 1994. She was the first Māori director of a New Zealand museum.

McKenzie was born in Palmerston North in 1930.^[2] She attended Whanganui Girls' College. She then went on to study zoology, geology and chemistry at Otago University between 1948 and 1950. Later, in 1963, she enrolled in arts papers at Massey University.^[2]

McKenzie returned to Palmerston North in 1952, she worked briefly for the Department of Māori Affairs (forerunner of Te Puni Kōkiri) and co-founded a Manawatū branch of the Māori Women's Welfare League in 1953. In 1967 a Manawatū museum society was incorporated. In 1971, along with other volunteers, McKenzie and her husband Bruce worked to set up Palmerston North's first museum in an old house offered by the Palmerston North City Council. She was appointed acting curator in 1974. This new position came with a small honorarium. Her curator role became a full-time position when the museum moved to larger premises in 1975. In 1978 she was appointed as Manawatū Museum’s first director. She was known colloquially to many as "Aunty Mina".^[2] She was the first Māori to hold such a position in New Zealand.^[3] In addition to her work at the Manawatū Museum, she was involved in national museum movements, committees and projects, until she retired in 1994. ^[3]

When McKenzie was appointed director of the Manawatū Museum in 1978 she engaged local Iwi (Māori: tribe) as kaitiaki (Māori: guardians) of the museum. Contrary to prevailing museum practices of the time she pursued a philosophy of 'keeping the taonga (Māori: sacred objects) warm.' This approach facilitated access for source communities to the museum collections including touching and wearing items of significance. By 1980 McKenzie had already established herself as an advocate for a new kind of bi-cultural museological practice.^[4]

McKenzie was a member of the Te Maori committee.^[5] She was instrumental in having the North American tour extended to the Field Museum in Chicago.^[6] The Te Maori exhibition is credited with generating new ways of exhibiting and understanding Māori taonga within museum contexts.^[5]

McKenzie received the Palmerston North Civic Honour Award in 1993.^[3] After her death in 1997 the Mina McKenzie scholarship and annual Mina McKenzie lecture were established.^[6] In 1998 she was awarded the Massey University Medal for contributions to the university's Museum Studies programme and strengthening of the museum sector in New Zealand.^[7] In 2018 the Mina McKenzie Award was introduced at the New Zealand Museum Awards, recognising individual achievements in the museum sector.^[8]

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