Topic:
Tau-utuutu: How can kaupapa Māori (Māori values) be used to improve organisational accountabilities as a basis for better performance in Rōpū Māori (Māori organisations)? – working title
Abstract
The quest for rangatiratanga has been consistent throughout Māori history and has led to the establishment of many Māori initiated and focussed developments ‘by Māori for Māori’ including educational, health, justice, broadcasting, and religious organisations to name a few. Commercially, recent Treaty settlements have boosted the Māori resource base for economic development. This is coupled with the cultural renaissance maintaining and restoring Māori norms such as te reo, tikanga, toi Māori and marae. It could be argued that these activities are a reflection of the continued interest of Māori to survive as Māori and representing, a concern to authenticate Māori development through the filter of kaupapa Māori (philosophy and values). Hawkes (2001) supports this idea and concludes ‘Without culture, we are, quite literally, not human’. There are a range of kaupapa such as utu and mana that help explain the behaviour of individual and rōpū Māori organisational activities and relationships. This research will be located in an ethnographic framework where case-studies, interviews and literature reviews will inform the development of a kaupapa Māori set of quality assurance indicators and accountabilities which can be used by Maori organisations. This research will capture the traditions and tikanga associated with quality assurance practices that exist in te ao Māori and make them relevant to Māori in a modern context.