Mātauranga Māori workstream - English version
Prioritising the rights and interests of whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori for their taonga and mātauranga to inform future ways of working for the institutions.
Nā League of Live Illustrators ngā tānga i roto i a Ōkoro – wānanga kaimahi Māori
“ Mehemea ka moemoea ahau, ko ahau anake. Mehemea ka moemoea tātou, ka taea e tātou”
If I dream, I dream alone. If we dream as a collective, we can achieve our dream
Te Puea Hērangi (1883-1952)
What is the Mātauranga Māori workstream?
Ensuring mātauranga Māori is at the heart of our three heritage institutions – Archives New Zealand, National Library and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision – is an essential component of Te Ara Tahi and our future journey together.
As significant holders of mātauranga and taonga, the institutions have an important role in the care and protection of mātauranga and taonga, and in recognising and respecting the unique rights and interests Māori have over that which we hold and care for.
The Mātauranga Māori workstream is about looking to the future and enabling our institutions to:
respond to the needs and aspirations of whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori in accessing and caring for mātauranga,
embed te ao Māori through the institutions to ensure Māori can carry out their role as kaitiaki, and
provide a joined-up approach to working in partnership with the wider sector and sharing thought leadership.
What are the workstream's objectives?
An analysis of how we currently practice embedding te ao Māori and Te Tiriti across the work of our institutions indicates four overarching problems for mātauranga Māori:
sustained underinvestment where mātauranga Māori kaupapa is projectised, one-off or is insufficient long range investment,
systemic integration failure that prevents institutional maturity over time,
exclusionary loops where ‘majority culture’ perspectives and practices are privileged above te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori equivalents, and
gaps in knowledge, capability and application of mātauranga Māori/te ao Māori.
To begin addressing these, the Mātauranga Māori pillar has two main objectives:
Objective one: To have a deeper understanding of the current practices of the institutions in embedding te Ao Māori and Te Tiriti into their handling and care of mātauranga Māori.
Objective two: To understand how mātauranga Māori / kaupapa Māori theory and practice can be applied to achieve Te Tiriti led outcomes that respect the unique rights and interest of Māori in accessing and caring for taonga Māori.
These objectives are not fixed. Mātauranga Māori is diverse within whānau, hapū and iwi structures, and is understood and expressed in a variety of ways, drawing on the diverse realities and experiences of Māori and contributed to by successive generations.
Mātauranga Māori has an enduring legacy beyond the wider programme. It has no beginning and is without end. This workstream is a ‘living’ workstream to ensure it remains consistent with Māori ways of knowing, being and doing. It is likely that these objectives will adapt and change as we continue forward.
Our journey so far
Nau mai ki Ōkoro – our Kaimahi Māori wānanga
In April of 2022, to support the development of the shared future vision statement, kaimahi Māori gathered together online to whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro mō Te Ara Tahi and our shared path forward.
The wānanga responded to feedback from kaimahi Māori across the institutions for an opportunity to include Māori ki te Māori perspectives in the future design of the shared vision statement. It also provided opportunities for kaimahi Māori to strengthen whanaungatanga across our institutions, gain a greater appreciation of what we all do, and advance te ao Māori ways of knowing and being, for the benefit of future generations and a stronger, collaborative heritage sector.
The kōrero and whākaaro was incredibly valuable and provided rich insights that were taken forward to Te Ara Tahi vision working group.
You can check out some of our kaimahi key insights here: Ōkoro - Wānanga kaimahi Māori insights (PPTX, 14MB)
A mātauranga Māori investment logic map – telling our investment story
The investment story that we tell and the narrative we create for change is important in ensuring that we can deliver better outcomes to enable Māori to realise their taonga and mātauranga aspirations.
Over two days in May 2022, senior leaders and kaimahi Māori gathered together to develop a mātauranga Māori workstream investment logic map. These workshops included opportunities to:
connect our current operating environment to our desired future state,
map key barriers and the responses required to address these barriers, and
the benefits that can be realised by committing to the responses for our heritage system.
This ILM will tell our investment story to suport the change required to achieve the workstream's objectives and new ways of working within our heritage system, with whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori partners along with all New Zealanders.
The Mātauranga Māori ILM will also support the development of a future business case for Te Ara Tahi, and the establishment of a resourced workstream.
Developing supporting guidance – strengthening trust with our partners and key decision makers
Building mātauranga Māori capability takes time. Providing guidance and supporting tools can help us ensure that we are building mātauranga and kaupapa Māori theory and practice into the way we work, while continuing to build our institutional capability.
To help us work towards the workstream's objectives, a set of mātauranga Māori standards and a guide to Māori engagement have been developed. Where our mahi affects whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori, we want to ensure that we are recognising and reflecting their unique rights and interests from design, development and through to the implementation of our mahi.
These tools are there to help us, and complement the guidance and resources that you might already be using.
You can find these tools in the Resources section below.
Who are we?
This workstream team comprises:
Te Paea Paringatai - Taituarā Mātauranga Māori (Director Mātauranga Māori)
Jacinta Paranihi-Anae - Poutoko Tūhono Mātauranga Māori (Principal Engagement and Programme Strategy Lead)
Cellia Joe-Olsen - Poutoko Kaupapa Mātauranga Māori (Projects and Initiatives Lead)
The team is supported by Te Hīnaki, which consists of the Kaihautū Archives New Zealand, Kaihautū Ratonga Māori National Library and the Pou Ārahi Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. The workstream collaborates with other teams from across Te Ara Tahi, and the National Library and Archives NZ.
What is on the horizon?
The Mātauranga Māori Investment Roadmap - Phase Two outlines key initiatives and objectives, including benefits and outcomes for a future state in the next five years. These initiatives build on Phase One foundation artefacts that support our vision: Mana Taonga, Mana Tangata, Manaaki.