TOWARDS A BICULTURAL APPROACH TO DESIGNING EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND: RECOMMENDATIONS FROM REFLECTIONS AT THE INTERFACE

Aotearoa, New Zealand is volcanically active due to its location on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific plates. Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa, have extensive knowledge of their local area and history of past volcanic activity. Braiding [1] of the Indigenous knowledge system of Mātauranga Māori with Western science can lead to increased preparedness and understanding of local landscapes. However, what successful collaboration between different knowledge systems look like remains unclear given the history of exploitation and extractive research.

Here, we share insights from our work on understanding the co-construction of a virtual field trip resource that weaves narratives from Mātaurānga Māori and Geology to teach about caldera volcanoes in Aotearoa. Interviews with iwi (tribe) representatives, geologists, educators involved in the filming of the resource show that relations, values and sharing are integral to successful research partnerships. This study is rooted in the He Awa Whiria framework [1] and recognizes the collaborative benefits of multiple knowledge systems.

Our study demonstrates that Māori academics, local Māori facilitators and researchers are crucial in the engagement process with iwi representatives. Based on our findings, we further recommend that (i) opportunities for multiple engagements (ngā wānanga, ngā hui) to lay groundwork for long term relations; (ii) constructing, reconstructing needs of the project prior to its start and re-affirming them throughout to facilitate continued and ongoing sharing; (iii) communicating, understanding and following tikanga (protocols) and agreed upon norms throughout to acknowledge and appreciate the support provided by each iwi representatives; (iv) budgeting to include provisions for salaried partnerships and culturally appropriate compensations in addition to the acknowledgement of mana whenua (iwi with ancestral connections to the area) hosting obligations; (v) identifying the responsibility of following up projects with Māori partners to maintain mutually beneficial long term relationships foster successful research partnerships. Our recommendations support the partnership approach to mana (status)-enhancing research collaborations popular in Aotearoa for research in the bicultural space.

[1] Macfarlane, S., Macfarlane, A., & Gillon, G. (2015). Sharing the food baskets of knowledge. In A. Macfarlane, S. Macfarlane, & M. Weber (Eds.), Sociocultural realities: exploring new horizons.