TIKANGA A RANGAHAU

MĀORI RESEARCH & ETHICS COUNCIL

TIKANGA A RANGAHAU

MĀORI RESEARCH AND ETHICS COUNCIL

Supporting excellence in Māori research.

Tikanga-a-Rangahau is the Māori Research and Ethics Council founded and hosted by Te Tira Whakamātaki in 2022. Tikanga-a-Rangahau was established to be an independent committee that supports excellence in Māori research, and seeks to assist ongoing efforts to decolonise research, science, and innovation, whilst supporting tikanga-based, tohunga-led research practices.

Tikanga a Rangahau's Story

A couple of years ago one of Te Tira Whakamataki's Kāhui Members, Jim Tahae Doherty came to us with a concern. He felt that he and his community had been duped by a Crown-led research entity, that had sold them a fantastic research idea, which got funded, but turned out to be completely different and not so fantastic for the community. Subsequent conversations with Matua Jim and the Kāhui challenged us as researchers to think about how we could better support our communities get ahead of the demands that come from researchers and their institutes, especially at bidding time. At the same time we had been thinking of ways to ensure the work we did, and were involved in, at Te Tira Whakamātaki was ethically responsible and meeting our standards of ‘excellence’.

In response to Matua Jim’s wero (challenge) we established and launched Tikanga a Rangahau, our Māori Research and Ethics Council.

This Council has been established to support excellence in Māori research, in particular in TTW but also in our communities. Ultimately the Council is an independent voice in the research system, designed to put our communities and our experts at the centre of Māori research.

Roles and Purposes

The council has these purposes and goals:

Ensure research conducted, and supported, by Te Tira Whakamātaki is ethically sound and meeting our standards of ‘excellence’

Ensure our communities have access to resources and advice that helps them decide what research to support, participate in and or undertake.

Providing and sharing resources to and for independent Māori researchers and Māori communities;

Supporting best practice approaches to ethical and effective research for, with, and by Māori;

Contributing to the protection and sovereignty of mātauranga Māori so that this knowledge can support whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori groups in their self-determined development strategies;

Advocating for Māori in research activities and practices within Aotearoa and, where appropriate, beyond; and

Supporting the education, training, and career development of Māori researchers, students, and community members in their research relevant to, and supported by, whānau, hapū, iwi, and Māori groups.