FEATURE INTERVIEW

FEATURE INTERVIEW UNESCO 2022 Ambassador Sophia Newton

With her deep commitment to heritage, we are so pleased that this UNESCO Young Ambassador for 2022 is part of our team, working to support mātauranga Māori throughout Aotearoa New Zealand Sophia is a history graduate and is currently studying for her Masters at Victoria University of Wellington.

WORDS: Anna Knox

What does your role with HNZPT involve? I am the Programme Coordinator for our Mātauranga Māori programme. Our programme is part of the Government's Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kotuku Initiative, and is intended to support iwi, hapū, whānau and hāpori Māori to protect mātauranga Māori from the ongoing threat of Covid-19. Our team have been working hard to develop and implement wānanga, internships and grants that support the transmission of vulnerable mātauranga in our communities. How did you come to work here? I've always had an interest in history so after school I moved to Wellington to complete a BA in History at Victoria University. After finishing my undergrad, I applied for the administrator role at our Central Regional Office here in Pōneke. This role introduced me to the broad scope of the work that Pouhere Taonga does and allowed me to meet and interact with our passionate staff, members and interested public. During this role I began studying towards a Masters in Museum and Heritage Studies at Victoria. Through this degree, I began a placement with our policy team to complete a report on the work of Architect Chris Cochran and the Buildings Classification Committee. Then I was fortunate enough to be offered a role in the Mātauranga Māori team, so I made the big move across the carpark to Antrim House! Why is the work you do important to you? Our programme has been able to reach some of our most isolated communities and given them an opportunity to decide for themselves what aspects of their mātauranga are at risk and in need of support. My favourite part of our programme is that it gives the agency over to the hāpori, enabling them to engage with their community in whichever way they see fit. What does heritage mean to you? Heritage is the thread that ties us together. I became interested in history initially because I saw it as a logical subject – an event occurred, and we study the causes and consequences of that event. Since working here, my opinion on this matter has changed. After engaging with communities up and down the motu, I've come to realise that the intangible aspects of our past are what people cherish most. It their connection to their loved ones, their past and whakapapa but it also impacts their identity and wellbeing. The built environment and ancestral landscapes that our organisation cares for are markers of those connections, hence why the work we do is so important. Do you have a favourite heritage place? Kemp House and the Stone Store at Kerikeri Basin! I visited this property for the first time in my previous role with HNZPT and fell in love with the peaceful landscape of the inlet. On a tour of Kemp House, I discovered that an ancestor of mine, Guide Sophia Hinerangi of the Pink and White Terraces, was raised by Charlotte Kemp at Kerikeri Basin. Kellee and her amazing team pointed me in the right direction to learn more about Sophia as well as my whakapapa to the north. Can you tell me a bit more about your role as a UNESCO Youth Leader?

The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO represents our country to UNESCO and takes relevant collective resources, networks, programmes, and connections and applies them in a way that benefits Aotearoa New Zealand. UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders serve as advisors, negotiating inclusive ways for young people to be engaged and empowered in the priority and programme areas for the National Commission. I'll be working in this role for two years. I firmly believe that the kaupapa of my work and Masters research aligns with the values and priorities of the National Commission and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to explore this further in my role. What does the future of heritage look like in Aotearoa do you think?

We've been lucky enough to work alongside a lot of young people and children in our programme, usually brought to the wānanga by their parents. Seeing our rangatahi get involved, learn about their whakapapa and listen to the stories told by kaumātua has made the programme what is it. I think the future of our heritage is looking bright! n