Ko wai au

Matariki Williams (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Hauiti, Taranaki, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Ātihaunui a Pāpārangi) is a doctoral candidate, curator, writer and editor in the arts and cultural sector whose work is underpinned by kaupapa Māori research ethics. Previous roles include as Senior Historian, Mātauranga Māori at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage where she was Project Lead of Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories, and Curator Mātauranga Māori at Te Papa Tongarewa. While at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, she led a team of historians and project support to work with iwi in recording, sharing and educating about their treaty settlement experiences. Her team also provided research support to iwi partners, and facilitated access to collections in Crown agencies. Expertise around undertaking oral histories and written histories was openly shared with these iwi partners as well as editorial insights. While at Te Papa her research was broadly published in print, online and journal publications.

Matariki co-authored the award-winning book Protest Tautohetohe: Objects of Resistance, Persistence and Defiance with Puawai Cairns and Stephanie Gibson. Her love of ngā toi Māori led to the founding of the peer-reviewed ATE Journal of Māori Art with Bridget Reweti. Matariki is a committee member for Te Hā o Ngā Pou Kaituhi Māori - National Māori writers’ roopū, and serves on the editorial board of the Turnbull Library Record journal. 

Her writing has appeared nationally and internationally in print publications, more information about this mahi can be found here. 

Matariki has appeared as an onscreen expert in the shows National Treasures and Get the Name Right, both of which consider history from the micro and macro level. More information can be found here.

Governance experience includes as a board member of Museums Aotearoa, Kaihautū Māori on the National Digital Forum, a Trustee for Contemporary HUM, a Trustee on the Judith Binney Trust, and a member of the Programme and Acquisitions Committee for Te Pūkenga Whakaata - New Zealand Portrait Gallery. She is the co-chair for ATE Journal of Māori Art Trust.