6. The enablers: Collaboration

6.1 Mäori

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Mäori are tangata whenua of New Zealand and as the indigenous people contribute a unique world view, knowledge and culture that differentiates New Zealand from any other country. The potential for Mäori development using digital technology is high – and of critical importance to our digital future.

The 2005 Digital Strategy recognised the importance of working with Mäori to achieve their goals for the use of digital technologies. The Draft Digital Strategy 2.0 more explicitly recognises the importance of digital development to Mäori wellbeing and Mäori business and employment.

The Draft Digital Strategy 2.0 confirms that Mäori need to be well connected, skilled and confident creators and users of new technologies. For example, collaboration and partnership will be required around rural broadband access, skill development and the protection of Mäori intellectual property. There are already some encouraging signs. The recent digital broadcasting changes encourage Mäori to create and share their knowledge and heritage. EDS (an IT-outsourcing company), the Mäori Education Trust, and Te Puni Kökiri are jointly providing scholarships for Mäori students of ICT in tertiary education.

But digital technology is not merely important for its economic potential. It is a vital means of transmitting mätauranga Mäori, strengthening Mäori identity, expressing a Mäori world view and communicating with the world. Hence, it is important that cultural digital content is created in te reo Mäori and maintained in accordance with tikanga Mäori.

In summary, Mäori are important collaboration partners because:

  • Mäori are significant and growing contributors to the New Zealand economy and are well positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital environment. Mäori have shown a strong uptake of digital technology, which has the potential to be harnessed for wider social, economic and cultural wellbeing.

  • Mäori are creators and consumers of distinct digital content, particularly visible in the broadcasting, arts, education and academic arenas. This is vital to recognising Mäori culture and language in a contemporary setting, and thereby informing and contributing to our unique New Zealand identity.

  • Mäori use digital technology to connect iwi, hapü, whänau and other tribal organisations throughout New Zealand, and overseas.

  • Different approaches are required to protect, preserve and promote mätauranga Mäori.

A Mäori ICT forum on potential partnerships and opportunities will be facilitated by Te Puni Kökiri in 2008.

 

4 Responses to "6.1 Mäori"
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I am very happy to see the government is looking at collaboration as a 4th enabler.
I agree that working with Iwi, Hapu, Marae and Whanau as a collaborative is a good initiative.
Renee Sciascia
Monday, April 14, 2008 8:32 PM
It is great that you are looking into collaboration with whanau, hapu and iwi. There are many statements that make suggestions on how Maori feel and what THEY need. Have these been provided through hui with Maori or these current assumptions. The statement of "digital development to Maori wellbeing..." is disarming. If Maori input is so important what is the benefit for them in the long run. Why would we need digital content when meeting on a marae has always provided the same information sharing?
I would like to see what developments happen in relation to Maori Intellectual AND Cultural Property and how we can achieve this to the benefit and consensus of Maori.
Anahera Morehu
Friday, May 09, 2008 11:42 AM
Generally, there should be greater access to training in the creation and delivery of information products and services to enable Maori and all New Zealanders to create unique digital content to supply an ever increasing need, and to do so for economic advantage.

Research into the creation of ICT and workflows for the creation of information products and services should be made available to Maori rural communities and Maori training insitutions, therein creating more upskilled producers.

If unique Maori content for sale, comes from publicly available sources then institutions should be equipped to manage Maori intellectual and cultural property rights.

Greater research into Maori information literacy models needs to be undertaken rather than trying to adapt western based models. In as much as there was a need for a uniquely Maori schema to facilitate access to information through Maori Subject Headings, there should be uniquely 'Maori' information literacy models. This would enable equal access for Maori to information rather than perpetuate the inequalities which exist due to Maori trying to approach ICT and content with a foreign based western worldview forced apon them by the way ICT is generally created today.
maori_librarian
Monday, May 19, 2008 11:09 AM
I'm the Maori Liaison Librarian at WINTEC, and I have been working on Maori Information Literacy purely based on Maori pedagogy and epistemology. To say it has been an up hill battle is an understatement. If Maori are to achieve outcomes in this area, we need buy in from our people, we need funding and we need to have more of our people with the IT skills to create innovative learning games. I head a project that is addressing Maori Information Literacy, the problem I have is that there is no funding and no Maori IT game coders, I talk to Pakeha and try and teach or show them what the concepts of "whakarongo, titiro, and korero" are, which are, in my opinion cornerstones of how Maori learn. It is hard for them to grasp, and it is even harder for me to demonstrate what those key pedagogies are. So I would like to see more collaboration, more communication, because I just stumbled upon this site. If anyone wants to contact me about this project, just email me here: moheka.williams@wintec.ac.nz or phone: 07 834 8800 extn: 8490
Moheka Williams
Thursday, September 18, 2008 10:57 AM