lecture 23: Māori and Indigenous Knowledge in Development

Question 1

What is indigenous development?

Answer 1

• development is associated with economic growth, driven through political power
• creating benefits and positive outcomes for indigenous communities
• recognising the unique character of indigenous communities
  through:
• recognition of indigenous knowledge in governance, management, practice

Question 2

What is indigenous knowledge?

Answer 2

• a strategic resource
• dominant knowledge systems drive economies (usually non indigenous)
• the growth of the maori economy has seen the growth in use of maori knowledge (Matauranga Maori)
• indigenous knowledge comes from observing and interacting with the environment
• is often orally transmitted
• traditions based

Question 3

How have Māori used the past to develop
their present, socially, environmentally,
economically and culturally?

Answer 3

value based economics:
- greater inclusion of social, environmental and cultural concerns
- re introduces values into the economy

• adding layers of experience develops indigenous knowledge
• indigenous knowledge is experiential so it relies on using past experiences to inform current practices and strategies when new situations and challenges present themselves
• experiential knowledge and practices take into consideration all aspects of a society’s lifeways: the environment, social, economic and cultural

Question 4

What do the examples used in this reading
and lecture tell you about Māori
development?

Answer 4

• although money is important it is only one variable in ensuring that there is sustained intergenerational growth
• maori development is constructed from social, environmental, cultural and economic ethic
• below the apparent economic processes and practices lies a wealth of transactions, production and enterprises that remain hidden

Question 5

What traditional practices of Māori society
inform development?

Answer 5

• tradition based knowledge and practices are not as relevant in this type of econmic environmnet
• this is because tradition based systems rely on info from past experience to guide and strategise for any challenges that impact on development

Question 6

How does indigenous knowledge benefit or
challenge Māori development?

Answer 6

• indigenous knowledge has historically been seen as ‘less than’ and western knowledge is presumed as more superior
• european knowledge is used as the base for society, politics and the economic environment through to current times
• its a strategic resource that informs and drives indigenous development processes and practices

Question 7

quadruple bottom line

Answer 7

a measure of how well an economy is structured and progressing

Question 8

Matauranga maori

Answer 8

• maori knowledge and philosophies
• reflective of a maori worldview
• connects people with the environment

Question 9

maori development ethics

Answer 9

1. whakapapa = genealogy, layers of relationships
2. kaitiakitanga= guardianship, responsibility of care
3. whanaungatanga = managing relationships
4. rangatiratanga = self determination, governance
5. wairua = spiritual contexts

Question 10

Understand values-based economics and the quadruple bottom line.

Answer 10

Values-based economics:
- focuses on values and on the most important goods such as families, homes etc
- values based economy’s were predominantly those of indigenous peoples who live within the places targeted by european industrialised nations for resource exploitation and colonisation
Quadruple bottom line
- a measure of how well an economy is structured and progressing

Question 11

Understand what is meant by Indigenous knowledge.

Answer 11

• often referred to as local knowledge because it is knowledge that is specific to location and to the people who reside there, it is also tailored to local situations
• unique to a given culture and society and is derived from observation and interaction the local environment over time
• tradition based and passed on through both oral and written sources

Question 12

Understand the different Māori cultural concepts that can be applied in
development contexts.

Answer 12

–> whakapapa
- works as an organisational tool through the way its layers the connections between people and resources
- this allows us to see the history and order of an idea, practice, relationship or activity
–> whanaungatanga
- governs the relationships between the various development factors and helps with understanding how the relationship is formed and why
- underpins the governance and management decisions to ensure that all the factors of development are given equal consideration in decision making
–> manaakitanga
- guides us through the way relationships are carried out such as ensuring due diligence and risk assessment
- also governs the moral obligations and responsibilities that go hand in hand with respect and care in decision making to ensure intergenerational growth
–> kaitiakitanga
- socioenvironmental ethic is based on whakapapa relationships and the obligations and responsibilities to the resources useful in short and long term development
- ensures resources arent exploited
–> rangatiratanga
- provide the drive and direction behind development
–> tino rangatiratanga
- governance and is the absolute authority to make informed choices and decisions