PHOTO: Pixabay
PHOTO: Pixabay

Māori researchers call for a Tiriti-led science-policy approach

Embargoed until: Publicly released:
Not peer-reviewed: This work has not been scrutinised by independent experts, or the story does not contain research data to review (for example an opinion piece). If you are reporting on research that has yet to go through peer-review (eg. conference abstracts and preprints) be aware that the findings can change during the peer review process.

A multi-disciplinary group of Māori researchers has published a new report recommending the appointment of Māori Chief Science Advisors and the development of Tiriti-based guidelines for science and innovation funding. They write that the current way scientists and policymakers work with each other leaves little room for Māori participation or leadership, but that Te Tiriti offers a “powerful framework” for connecting communities of knowledge that are mutually beneficial. Other recommendations over the medium term include establishing an independent Mātauranga Māori entity, and developing regionally based Te Ao Māori policy hubs.

Organisation/s: Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga

Funder: n/a

Media release

From: Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga

A new report by leading Māori researchers seeks major changes to the way in which knowledge and evidence is used in policy and decision-making in post-COVID Aotearoa.

Te Pūtahitanga: A Tiriti-led science-policy approach for Aotearoa New Zealand raises concerns about the exclusion of Māori and Pacific expertise from science advice and key decision-making roles, which was particularly evident during the pandemic:

“A top-down model that is not adequately informed by Māori voices retains its intellectual blind sports and weakens the relevance of scientific conclusions. This, in turn, can undermine positive outcomes for Māori and reinforce beneficial outcomes for groups that are already privileged”.

The report calls for a bolder science-policy approach that leverages the unique strengths of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Mātauranga Māori to achieve better outcomes for Māori. It makes five key recommendations:

* Appoint Māori Chief Science Advisors in key departments
* Develop Tiriti-based guidelines for RSI funding
* Strengthen monitoring of Māori RSI investment and activity
* Establish a Mātauranga Māori entity with autonomous governance and baseline funding
* Develop a plan for regionally based Te Ao Māori policy hubs

Te Pūtahitanga was written by Māori researchers working across the RSI sector including from Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, the Chief Science Advisor Forum, the Health Research Council and the National Science Challenges (Rauika Māngai). It has been backed by prominent Māori organisations including the New Zealand Māori Council, the Māori Women’s Welfare League, Te Ohu Kaimoana, Te Kāhui Raraunga, and Te Mana Raraunga Māori Data Sovereignty Network.

The report follows the recent publication of A guide to Vision Mātauranga: Lessons from Māori
voices in the New Zealand science sector by Rauika Māngai.

Expert Reaction

These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.

Professor Tahu Kukutai, Professor of Demography, Te Rūnanga Tātari Tatauranga (National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis) at the University of Waikato

There are two things that make this report significant. One is that it interrogates, from an unapologetically Māori vantage point, how science and evidence shapes policymaking. Unsurprisingly, it finds that the current approach marginalises Māori experts, knowledge and priorities, with deleterious consequences for Māori and Aotearoa more broadly.

It argues for a Tiriti-led approach that is equity focused, more ‘bottom up’ than ‘top down’, and that draws on Mātauranga Māori and community expertise in far more timely and connected ways.

The second point of the difference relates to the authors. Collectively they cover every part of the RSI system and bring with them a huge amount of expertise and experience, in Te Ao Māori and in Pākehā dominated institutions and settings. They have been up close and personal with the science-policy interface for decades and they know it isn’t working for Māori, or indeed for many other communities. The collective wisdom they offer in the report is more than a wero - it’s an agenda for change, with clear and actionable recommendations. The real test will be whether those with the power to make the changes are actually up for it.

Last updated: 27 Apr 2021 6:45am
Declared conflicts of interest:
Co-author of this report

Professor Tracey McIntosh, Professor of Indigenous Studies and Co-Head of Te Wānanga o Waipapa (School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies) at the University of Auckland

Deeply embedded social inequities, the intergenerational reach of the prison, and the degradation of our land and waterways - none of these are intractable issues. All are amenable to change. This report clearly demonstrates the strength of drawing on disciplinary, cultural and place-based expertise to generate new knowledge, sustainable solutions and shape evidence-based, culturally-informed policy practice. A Tiriti-led science-policy approach for Aotearoa offers a critical opportunity to support the vision of a just and equitable society.

Last updated: 23 Apr 2021 6:00pm
Declared conflicts of interest:
Co-author of this report

News for:

New Zealand

Media contact details for this story are only visible to registered journalists.