Making Māori viewpoints the norm rather than the exception

Kaupapa Māori research methodology was the key topic up for discussion at the popular Inquire, Inspire symposium held at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic’s Windermere campus last Friday. The Bay of Plenty Tertiary Education Partnership event brought staff, graduate students, community partners and members of the public together for a day of research presentations.

Keynote speaker Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Dean of the University of Waikato School of Māori and Pacific Development, stressed the importance of Māori knowledge conceptualisation with its focus on authentic participant voice, wellbeing and dignity.

“These themes were echoed throughout the day as presenters covered a broad spectrum of high interest topics, many of which were collaborations that included two or more of the tertiary partners,” says symposium organiser Dr Nigel Calder.

Professor Smith discussed the importance of approaching kaupapa Māori research from the viewpoint of it being ordinary - the norm rather than the exception. She said it was important to clarify that kura kaupapa schools were not just about te reo immersion, but rather about achieving educational goals through a Māori perspective.

She rejected the notion of observational ‘fly on the wall’ research interviewing techniques, suggesting a better option was to be upfront about the particular lens the researcher was bringing to the topic in order to evaluate its impact.

Other tips included the idea that interviewers should never be fooled into thinking they were the master of the questions, the need to understand participant backgrounds, and the value of establishing points of connection with interview subjects.

Prof Smith concluded with examples of how her research in kaupapa Māori had travelled and found relevance internationally.

Fellow speaker Anthony Campbell explained how holistic kaupapa Wānanga and localised Māori methodology had provided a central framework for his research investigating the impact of iPad literacy and numeracy apps on student learning.

Focusing on mauri ora (wellbeing), koha (giving and receiving), āhurutanga (ensuring safety and wellness) and kaitiakitanga (recognising relationships and obligations) allowed the team to fully connect with the students taking part in the research which produced more accurate outcomes.

Results showed that contrary to public opinion, second chance learners who had struggled at secondary school understood the importance of literacy and numeracy in life. The technologies presented to them during the course of the research project had positive effects on their attitude to learning and their engagement with their studies.

Associate Professor Cheryl Stephens from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi and David Earle from the Ministry of Education explained the collaboration that had taken place between both organisations to develop Hei Manaaki (Māori tourism) courses.

Their research investigated how students transitioned to tertiary programmes and found many Māori students studying tourism increased their NCEA numeracy and literacy levels when they were reassessed as adults.

Paul Warren then spoke about sustainable resource management, specifically the need to restock wild paua populations in Tauranga moana. He explained that Tauranga paua stock had plummeted since 2007 due to a number of impacting factors, including the Rena and recent port dredging.

Mr Warren is part of a team working to remedy this and a key part of their plan is to work collaboratively with local iwi. Mr Warren said he wasn’t a fan of the ‘cuppa tea consult’ model where Māori were invited to discuss matters, given a cup of tea and shooed away in token efforts to tick the consultation box.

His team decided to restock the area with juvenile paua. After lengthy testing they found an area on an island off the Mount Maunganui main beach to be the most plentiful in paua – exactly the spot local kaumātua told them would be. After cutting through a huge amount of testing and red tape they found the juvenile paua stock they had lined up had a disease. Instead of stopping, they embarked on their own DIY project to spawn and then reintroduce the paua themselves.

Mr Warren’s point was that he thinks the way forward for New Zealand is the proper and respectful collaboration of both old and new knowledge in equal parts. In this example they consulted with local Māori and then combined that knowledge with their own science for the best result.

Other speakers on Friday included Judi Honeyfield and Dr Vaughan Bidois who talked about participant voices and critical reflections targeted at under 25 professional development learners; Agnes McFarland discussed the intergenerational transmission of knowledge; Paora Howe and Associate Professor Mere Berryman talked about a teacher professional learning project Building on Success; Ngareta Timutimu discussed guidelines which support schools to be culturally responsive; and Julien Huteau explained the effects of contaminants in Tauranga harbour.

There was also a 25 minute four-member panel discussion regarding culturally inclusive ethics in Aotearoa. Topics included the intellectual property of research, the history and future of ethical decision making, researcher integrity, and the difficulties posed by dual accountability to local communities and the research community.

It is the third year the University of Waikato led symposium has been offered, in conjunction with the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic Curiosity: Creativity in the Research Space and the University of Waikato Treasuring the Bay: Coastal Economic Symposium which were both held earlier this year.

“Friday’s event was a brilliant day of learning while also challenging and stretching audience perspectives,” says University of Waikato Partnership and Liaison Manager Dr Nigel Calder.

Keep a look out for next year’s research sharing events, which will start with the Treasuring the Bay symposium on January 23.