Valuing our past

What is heritage?

What we inherit from our past is known as heritage. You could say it is something of value that has been passed down by families or other groups over many years.

Heritage is made up of a range of cultural traditions, stories and beliefs, significant places, and valued objects – often called artefacts or taonga; and whakapapa – our families, communities, and the places we are from. It is something from the past to value and enjoy in the present, and to preserve and pass on to future generations.

Are there different types of heritage?

One way to think about heritage is to break it down into three groups: tangible, intangible, and natural.

Tangible heritage

Tangible heritage is made up of objects. It is the physical remains that exist today, which you can see or touch. They could be historical or sacred sites, pā, buildings, monuments, landforms, taonga, artefacts, and archives.

Tangible heritage is the physical remains that exist today, which you can see or touch. Pictured: taonga uncovered by archaeologists from Ōtūmoetai Pā. Image: LEARNZ.

^{Tangible heritage is the physical remains that exist today, which you can see or touch. Pictured: taonga uncovered by archaeologists from Ōtūmoetai Pā. Image: LEARNZ.}

Intangible heritage

Intangible heritage is a practice, representation, knowledge, or skill. We can experience intangible heritage through customs, traditions, stories, crafts, sports, music, and dance.

We can experience intangible heritage through things like customs, traditions, crafts, sports, music, and dance. Pictured: Kiekie harvest for marae conservation. Credit: HNZPT.

^{We can experience intangible heritage through things like customs, traditions, crafts, sports, music, and dance. Pictured: Kiekie harvest for marae conservation. Credit: HNZPT.}

Natural heritage

Natural heritage relates to our natural resources. It includes our forests, waterways, wetlands, landscapes and geological structures, and native fauna and flora.

Natural heritage relates to our natural resources. Pictured: Aoraki Mount Cook and Lake Pūkaki. Image: LEARNZ.

^{Natural heritage relates to our natural resources. Pictured: Aoraki Mount Cook and Lake Pūkaki. Image: LEARNZ.}

Why is heritage important?

Culture and identity

Heritage is part of what and who we are. It helps shape and define our culture and identity and highlight our values and priorities.

Heritage gives clues to the past and how society has evolved. It helps us study history and traditions. Heritage helps us understand and explain why we are the way we are.

Heritage also plays an important role in our politics, society, business, and worldview.

Heritage helps us understand and explain why we are the way we are. Pictured: Visitors at Kororipo Pā, Kerikeri. Image: LEARNZ.

^{Heritage helps us understand and explain why we are the way we are. Pictured: Visitors at Kororipo Pā, Kerikeri. Image: LEARNZ.}

Personal rewards and opportunities

Our lives are enriched by the things we enjoy doing, seeing, or being involved with. We may search out our whakapapa or family history, visit places where our forebears lived and worked, volunteer for conservation projects or practice traditional skills.

Our inherited places, stories, and cultures bring people together from across the community through shared experiences in visiting, enjoying, and conserving heritage.

Conserving heritage helps local tourism businesses. People want to visit Aotearoa New Zealand’s special heritage sites and attractions.

By looking after our places, stories, and cultures, we can leave the next generation a taonga to inherit, appreciate and value.

People want to visit Aotearoa New Zealand’s special heritage sites and attractions. Pictured: Viewing window at Punatahu visitor centre, Lake Pūkaki. Image: LEARNZ.

^{People want to visit Aotearoa New Zealand’s special heritage sites and attractions. Pictured: Viewing window at Punatahu visitor centre, Lake Pūkaki. Image: LEARNZ.}