Attend the Matauranga Maori LIANZA full day workshop in Wellington
BOK 4 - Information Transfer Process.
BOK 11 - Indigenous Knowledge Paradigms.
Mātauranga Māori withinNew Zealand
BOK 4 - Information Transfer Process.
BOK 11 - Indigenous Knowledge Paradigms.
Mātauranga Māori within
Part 1: A description of the course and the learning involved.
Part 2: Understanding the context of Mātauranga Māori within my work (see below):
How this concept could direct the context of our indexing and cataloguing work.
How this context makes it unique from indexing and cataloguing in other countries.
Part 1
Part 2: Understanding the context of Mātauranga Māori within my work (see below):
How this concept could direct the context of our indexing and cataloguing work.
How this context makes it unique from indexing and cataloguing in other countries.
Part 1
When: Saturday 29 October 2011
Venue: Tapu te ranga marae
Time: 9am powhiri
Pōwhiri
Ensuring that all the course participants arrived at the marae around 8.45am to enter onto the marae, we met at the marae car park and were greeted by the facilitators who made us welcome and put our minds to rest as to the protocol for being welcomed on to Tapu te ranga marae. This included being assured that holding the words to the LIANZA waiata was perfectly fine and that while a koha envelope was handed around you were not expected to contribute and if you did any amount was acceptable. An explanation of the process of the pōwhiri also eased our minds as to what was expected of us and in what order things would occur. It was interesting being the ‘fish out of water’ for a change and it was certainly appreciated by all those concerned that we were made to feel as comfortable in new surroundings and cultural protocols as we were – a feeling that was deliberately maintained throughout the day.
Course description
This workshop will demonstrate a basic understanding of Mātauranga Māori within the context of New Zealand Libraries
Learning outcomes
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance, diversity and structure of Māori knowledge frameworks
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the influence that tīkanga and te reo Māori assumes in the development of Māori knowledge constructs and principles
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of kaupapa Māori methodologies in researching the needs of Māori clients
4. Participants will demonstrate knowledge of the LIANZA waiata and gain a basic understanding of te reo Māori pronunciation
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the relevance of the Treaty of Waitangi to the development and delivery of library and information services and resources
Pre-workshop requirement
Participants were asked to complete this questionnaire to bring to the workshop – what awareness does it conjure up in you?
1 - Please write a short description on the Māori Collection within your Library/Institution
2 - Where does the Treaty of Waitangi sit within your Libraries/Institutions policies?
3 - How many "specialist Māori staff" does your library employ/utilise and what are their roles?
4 - What is your knowledge of Māori Subject Headings?
5 - How long has Te Rōpū Whakahau been in existence and when was the first partnership agreement between Te Rōpū Whakahau and LIANZA signed?
These were questions I saw as being designed to get the participant thinking about their own ready-to-hand knowledge of things Māori in relation to their workplace and the Treaty of Waitangi and how it is acknowledged in the NL. Unless we spend time as part of our job working within the Māori resources we only really develop a glancing knowledge and so it was a good opportunity to remind/refresh/reveal to oneself the relationship the NLNZ has with things Māori.
Pre-workshop Required Reading
This activity introduced the participant to the world of Mātauranga Māori within the context of New Zealand Libraries, as it presented the issues that came out of Nga Ingoa Kaupapa Māori = Māori Subject Headings Project which, in discussing the issues involved from a Māori perspective, gave the reader an appreciation of the different ways Māori and non-Māori have of gathering, organising, disseminating and seeking knowledge.
Over the course of the day there were four presenters: Tangimereana, Hinerangi, Jacinta and Eddie.
“A view of the world through Maori eyes based upon ones Maori principles, values and philosophies (kaupapa) that is demonstrated through ones Maori methods, processes, policies (tïkanga) and is underpinned by genealogical links and spirituality (whakapapa and wairuatanga).”
Maori values – Kaupapa Maori
How similar/different to general values are they?
Often carried out under the surface but not often highlighted and celebrated.
http://www.trump.kk
w Whakapapa – a responsibility to those you are connected with/to, as I do when I talk to colleagues about where they are from career-wise, but in order to establish who I am and how we are connected…
w Whanaungatanga – working as a family, looking after each other
w Wairuatanga – the intangibles, that ‘High five’ feeling, team building, understanding what is happening outside work and how it might be impacting on work
t Te Reo – communication in all different ways and styles
r Rangatiratanga – leadership, diplomacy
u Ūkaipo – a sense/place of home
m Manaakitanga – recognising a Maori object as requiring a different treatment/process and knowing to ask
p Pükenga – formal or informal training, PD
k Kaitiakitanga – leave it in a better state than you started it
k Kotahitanga – all rowing in the same direction
What is a Maori Knowledge Framework?
Maori framework are not translations of policies, guidelines etc…do they include www.trump.kk?
“A Maori Knowledge Framework is based upon the Maori World View with kaupapa and tīkanga intertwined through the entire process or organization, including the policies and procedures, mission, vision and objectives.”
- Everyone on board at the beginning with meaningful consultation with the right people – the mana whenua of your area. This idea kept coming up throughout the day – the importance of consultation…and not being afraid to ask who the appropriate people are…
Dialect (Hinerangi – the “tough cop”)
Although threatened as “this is where you get to stand up and interact” this session turned out to be a series of positive and fun exercises in Te Reo Maori covering the Maori alphabet, vowel sounds (practiced in a song to the tune of ‘Stupid Cupid’), and some commonly mispronounced words e.g., Why-ra-rapper, Why-cat-oh, and Ay-o-tier-rower. Never hurts to be reminded. I liken it to someone calling me Ellen.
Ngä Ūpoko Tukutuku : Maori Subject Headings (Jacinta)
Having used these headings many times through my cataloguing and indexing work I was familiar with a lot of what Jacinta had to say. What interested me most was the Maori worldview that these headings are a product of, that these terms are part of the Maori being, part of their whakapapa. They are not chosen lightly but woven into the thesaurus like stories are woven into tukutuku panels. Each term has a history, a relationship with other terms and a relationship with the Maori sense of identity. It is important therefore to get them right.
Treaty of Waitangi (Eddie)
One word seemed to sum this session up – partnership. Whether it is the partnership between LIANZA and Te Ropu Whakahau or how Maori are setting up their own libraries, museums and archives and are looking for partnerships to help them do so.
Maori research methodologies (Eddie)
As a concept Maori research methodologies were explained to me in the following ways:
- Using the Tapu te Ranga Marae as an example it was explained how the marae is an ancestor (whare tupuna) where everything in it has a history (whakapapa) which will relate back to the individual in some way. This process, how the here and now comes through history from somewhere, how the past influences the present, how everything interrelates is akin to using a Maori research methodology. It is not “That’s your ancestor” but, “That is you – you are a part of this marae.” Going back through the generations and tying it all back to me in the present.
- Different variations of knowledge are acceptable. There is no one right answer.
- Methodologies do not come from libraries but from going home to the marae and asking the people there. Information repositories are not buildings but a person or people. Libraries are a part of the process but need to work out where they fit into it. Where the two world views meet a partnership needs to develop between libraries and local iwi.
- Research is knowledge and knowledge needs to be monitored as to where it is disseminated. Digitisation creates a fear of knowledge ‘getting out of hand’ and ‘going too far out there.’
- Information specialists are not specialists in information but hold specific knowledge.
How will you utilize these skills of knowledge within your role as information professionals?
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Start with “Tena koe” or “Kia ora!”
Part 2: Understanding the context of Mātauranga Māori within my work
Then the very next day after the course I listened to a National Radio interview ‘Language and ethnicity – issues in workplace communication’ with Janet Holmes, Professor of Linguistics atVictoria University
Two things in particular from the interview struck a chord in terms of understanding my general interactions with Māori as colleagues and customers both within and without my indexing work.
Firstly, in a Maori meeting some degree of formal opening is important, acknowledging backgrounds, rangitira, who people are, why they are there, the time they have taken to come and what they are going to contribute. Whereas Pakeha often just want to get started and can be intolerant of such proceedings - measured and formal versus quick and informal – Māori consider this process a natural part of any hui or gathering.
Secondly in a Maori meeting there is often constant feedback – murmuring, showing engagement, appreciation, clarifying points – even while someone is speaking. Whereas Pakeha expect silence when speaking as silence indicates respect, understanding etc, Māori show their interest by exchanging feedback in the moment. Understanding this I recalled an occasion on the course when two of the presenters, who had finished their presentations, were talking behind me during the next presentation of the next speaker distracting me somewhat and leaving me feeling perplexed at their behaviour. Put into context I now understand the behaviour and felt a lot less aggrieved at the situation.
Further ideas from the interview enhanced my understanding of my relationships with Māori in terms of Māori seeing themselves, not as individuals, but as a part of a network of relationships, all interacting along certain protocols: you as an individual do not take credit for work, you give credit to others; if these others are perhaps more important than you, they will speak for you; and whereas Pakeha flaunt their knowledge through their desire and need to be heard to contribute, Māori will wait to be asked for their contribution.
By understanding these aspects of Mātauranga Māori my indexing work involving meetings with Māori colleagues and colleagues can be better directed by appreciating and accommodating the various protocols and behaviours I am likely to encounter, rather than feeling blighted by them in terms of considering them culturally insensitive. No doubt, alluding to the comment by the presenter about ‘leaving behind parts of her in order to fit into the Pakeha world she works within’ Māori are well-versed to accommodating Pakeha protocols so it is only right that we do the same in turn.
How this context of Mātauranga Māori makes indexing and cataloguing unique from other countries.
Part 2: Understanding the context of Mātauranga Māori within my work
How the concept of Mātauranga Māori could direct the context of our indexing and cataloguing work.
NB: since the acceptance of my PTP my job description has changed and I am no longer cataloguing so will not be commenting on it.
While I went along to this course to increase my awareness of Mātauranga Māori, and this was achieved, it also opened up a world where I am left with the feeling that I have still only just touched the surface and that there was a lot more to learn. My challenge therefore is to keep reminding myself to be aware of Mātauranga Māori and consider how it relates to my work.
The biggest appreciation I took from the course was the idea of the different world view that Māori come into libraries with. A comment from one of the facilitators early in the day keeps coming back to me that reinforced the idea of Māori having a different sense of ‘being’ when she spoke of having to “leave behind” parts of her in order to fit into the Pakeha world she interacts with in her job. Hearing this I wanted to know what those parts were and what would/should I as a Pakeha need to think about and do to enable her to share those same parts.
Because of this the phrase ‘Where are you coming from?’ now pops into my head when I consider the Māori people I work with (library colleagues) and for (Index NZ customers). And when I think of this phrase I think of the Māori values – kaupapa Māori that are carried out under the surface but not often highlighted and celebrated. I get the impression that the relationship we have with our Māori indexing customers could be better directed by incorporating some of these values into that relationship, and that these kaupapa Māori values would do just as well with all customers.
Using the values described on the course I can see value of directing the context of our indexing work by interacting with our indexing customers in terms of whakapapa (talking to clients bout where they are from to establish connections), whanaungatanga (working together to ensure that everyone gets something out of the relationship), te reo (making an effort to establish and expand the use of the Māori Subject Headings we have access to), ukaipo (finding out what would make INNZ more user-friendly), manaakitanga (ensuring our Māori resources, that we as indexers are not skilled enough to encounter, are given to someone with the required skills and asking if we are not sure of things), pukenga (training in the Maori terms that we will encounter in our daily indexing work), kaitiakitanga (ensuring that we continue to increase and improve the number of Maori resources we are indexing) and kotahitanga (ongoing dialogues with our Maori customers ensuring that what we are providing is what they are needing).
NB: since the acceptance of my PTP my job description has changed and I am no longer cataloguing so will not be commenting on it.
While I went along to this course to increase my awareness of Mātauranga Māori, and this was achieved, it also opened up a world where I am left with the feeling that I have still only just touched the surface and that there was a lot more to learn. My challenge therefore is to keep reminding myself to be aware of Mātauranga Māori and consider how it relates to my work.
The biggest appreciation I took from the course was the idea of the different world view that Māori come into libraries with. A comment from one of the facilitators early in the day keeps coming back to me that reinforced the idea of Māori having a different sense of ‘being’ when she spoke of having to “leave behind” parts of her in order to fit into the Pakeha world she interacts with in her job. Hearing this I wanted to know what those parts were and what would/should I as a Pakeha need to think about and do to enable her to share those same parts.
Because of this the phrase ‘Where are you coming from?’ now pops into my head when I consider the Māori people I work with (library colleagues) and for (Index NZ customers). And when I think of this phrase I think of the Māori values – kaupapa Māori that are carried out under the surface but not often highlighted and celebrated. I get the impression that the relationship we have with our Māori indexing customers could be better directed by incorporating some of these values into that relationship, and that these kaupapa Māori values would do just as well with all customers.
Using the values described on the course I can see value of directing the context of our indexing work by interacting with our indexing customers in terms of whakapapa (talking to clients bout where they are from to establish connections), whanaungatanga (working together to ensure that everyone gets something out of the relationship), te reo (making an effort to establish and expand the use of the Māori Subject Headings we have access to), ukaipo (finding out what would make INNZ more user-friendly), manaakitanga (ensuring our Māori resources, that we as indexers are not skilled enough to encounter, are given to someone with the required skills and asking if we are not sure of things), pukenga (training in the Maori terms that we will encounter in our daily indexing work), kaitiakitanga (ensuring that we continue to increase and improve the number of Maori resources we are indexing) and kotahitanga (ongoing dialogues with our Maori customers ensuring that what we are providing is what they are needing).
The way we index should also come not only from within the library fraternity but from interacting with relevant marae and asking the people there what they require from Index New Zealand . We need to demonstrate that Index New Zealand is not a building but a series of people. We as a library are a part of a process and need to work on where we fit into it. We need to develop our partnership between ourselves and local iwi to share and understand our two world views.
Then the very next day after the course I listened to a National Radio interview ‘Language and ethnicity – issues in workplace communication’ with Janet Holmes, Professor of Linguistics at
Two things in particular from the interview struck a chord in terms of understanding my general interactions with Māori as colleagues and customers both within and without my indexing work.
Firstly, in a Maori meeting some degree of formal opening is important, acknowledging backgrounds, rangitira, who people are, why they are there, the time they have taken to come and what they are going to contribute. Whereas Pakeha often just want to get started and can be intolerant of such proceedings - measured and formal versus quick and informal – Māori consider this process a natural part of any hui or gathering.
Secondly in a Maori meeting there is often constant feedback – murmuring, showing engagement, appreciation, clarifying points – even while someone is speaking. Whereas Pakeha expect silence when speaking as silence indicates respect, understanding etc, Māori show their interest by exchanging feedback in the moment. Understanding this I recalled an occasion on the course when two of the presenters, who had finished their presentations, were talking behind me during the next presentation of the next speaker distracting me somewhat and leaving me feeling perplexed at their behaviour. Put into context I now understand the behaviour and felt a lot less aggrieved at the situation.
Further ideas from the interview enhanced my understanding of my relationships with Māori in terms of Māori seeing themselves, not as individuals, but as a part of a network of relationships, all interacting along certain protocols: you as an individual do not take credit for work, you give credit to others; if these others are perhaps more important than you, they will speak for you; and whereas Pakeha flaunt their knowledge through their desire and need to be heard to contribute, Māori will wait to be asked for their contribution.
By understanding these aspects of Mātauranga Māori my indexing work involving meetings with Māori colleagues and colleagues can be better directed by appreciating and accommodating the various protocols and behaviours I am likely to encounter, rather than feeling blighted by them in terms of considering them culturally insensitive. No doubt, alluding to the comment by the presenter about ‘leaving behind parts of her in order to fit into the Pakeha world she works within’ Māori are well-versed to accommodating Pakeha protocols so it is only right that we do the same in turn.
How this context of Mātauranga Māori makes indexing and cataloguing unique from other countries.
NB: since the acceptance of my PTP my job description has changed and I am no longer cataloguing so will not be commenting on that particular aspect.
Being more aware of the Mātauranga Māori view means a shared cultural view of indexing work that would not necessarily be found in other countries where one culture predominates over all others. Through the Treaty of Waitangi partnership Māori and Pakeha in Aotearoa NewZealand are destined to always be aware of each others culture and values, giving conscious time to consider each others needs and opinions. Indeed, the fact that we even have a Treaty which is such a big part of the interaction between the two cultures, makes us unique in the world.
While many of the values inherent in Mātauranga Māori will cross over to other cultures and countries, the way they are expressed both in terms of description and action, are unique to Aotearoa NewZealand . Māori have a history and a tradition-base that pervades the present culture and makes us all the richer for doing so. There are many aspects of daily life that have Māori influences from the Māori terms we incorporate into daily speech (whanau, Ka pai, Kia Ora) to the Marae-based protocols we encounter as part of our work. These are unique to us.
In terms of indexing an aspect unique to Aotearoa NewZealand is our use of the Ngä Ūpoko Tukutuku: Māori Subject Headings database, which we refer to when we are requiring Māori subject headings to complement our English ones, in order to provide our indexed information in a way that fits in with the Māori world view. We require people with specialist skills in Te Reo Māori in order to index Māori text and ask questions about terminology we are not sure of.
As Index NewZealand is primarily used by our customers as a research resource, our indexing is made unique in that it needs to be aware of the Maori research methodologies. Using the metaphor of the marae as mentioned in the first part of this blog, Index New Zealand could be viewed as an ancestor (whare tupuna) where everything in it has a history (whakapapa) which will relate back to the individual indexer in some way. Past indexing processes influence the present and that by understanding where we have come (looking back through the generations) we can tie it all back to the present and provide meaningful and relevant information for our unique customers, be they Māori of Pakeha.
Being more aware of the Mātauranga Māori view means a shared cultural view of indexing work that would not necessarily be found in other countries where one culture predominates over all others. Through the Treaty of Waitangi partnership Māori and Pakeha in Aotearoa New
While many of the values inherent in Mātauranga Māori will cross over to other cultures and countries, the way they are expressed both in terms of description and action, are unique to Aotearoa New
In terms of indexing an aspect unique to Aotearoa New
As Index New
