Dion Peita - Australian Museum

Staff profile: Dion Peita

Position title:: Collections Coordinator
Section:: Anthropology Research
Branch:: Cultural Heritage & Science Initiatives
Division:: Research & Collections
Phone:: +612 9320 6410
Email:: Contact Dion Peita using the form below

Profile

Warm Pacific greetings!

I am a direct descendant of the Tainui and Te Rarawa tribal confederations in Aotearoa - New Zealand. Over the past 16 years I have experienced Museum life in a variety of roles; from educator, customer service, cultural adviser, exhibition installer, collection manager to Collections Coordinator here at the Australian Musuem.

I have spent the greater part of my working career at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The Museum is renowned for its bicultural policy which attempts to address perspectives of both tangata whenua (indigenous peoples) and tangata tiriti (non-indigenous New Zealanders). It does so by introducing traditional knowledge concepts into contemporary expression. This understanding has informed they way in which I inteact with pacific Diasporic communities here in NSW.

Trained as a collection manager working with taonga Maori (Maori material culture), and Pacific material culture I have developed my skills to ensure the utmost care and professionalism is afforded the collections and their respective communities and stakeholders. My areas of interest are:

Indigenous musical instruments and composition
Pacifica sea voyaging and Ocean navigation
Pacifica weaving
Maori adze technology
Pacifica dance - traditional and contemporary
Mau taiaha - the practice of traditional Maori weaponry and related customs
Contemporary hip hop
Contemporary Pacific Art

I am charged with co-managing and coordinating the entire cultural collections of over 110,000 objects, which includes material from Indigenous Australia and Torres Strait, the Pacific, America, Asia and Africa. I look forward to sharing with you the diversity of our collections.