Abstract
The genesis of bioarchaeology in New Zealand as a discipline is entwined with the fates of the indigenous people of the land, the Māori, and influenced by the relatively short period of non-Māori colonisation. The story of how human skeletal remains (Kōiwi tangata), were treated and used in research by colonial curio hunters and adventurers mirror the treatment and eventual re-empowerment of Māori culture. Human skeletal remains hold a special place in all New Zealanders’ cultural identity but for Māori, are the physical embodiment of their genealogy representing a direct link to the land on which their ancestors lived and died. This chapter briefly reviews the history of biological anthropology as a discipline in New Zealand, outlining history and the legislative and social context of this research. Two case studies of recent bioarchaeology research are presented highlighting the current state of play in the discipline at one institution.