traditional knowledge conference 2008 te tatau pounamu

Colonial TraditionsHowever, the colonial academic tradition has systematically undermined Māori social and cultural lorein favour of a Western worldview. The quality and integrity of Māori knowledge is still regularlydismissed by Western paradigms (Moeke-Pickering, Paewai, Turangi-Joseph & Herbert, 1998),perpetuating what Howitt and Owusu-Bempah define as eurocentrism, that is, “seeing other culturesfrom the perspective of one’s own European culture” (1994, p. 114). Thus eurocentrism activelylegitimises and perpetuates worldwide inequality. Ritchie (1992) contends that Māori-preferred systems(processes and activities) are required to operate within a larger, often different contemporary systemthat does not recognize or accommodate a Māori way of doing things. This more powerful system oftendecides what is best for Māori and endeavours to define a Māori worldview for Māori, thus, having astultifying impact on things Māori.One system that has continued to perpetuate these understandings and within which Māori arerequired to function is that of education. Rogoff and Morelli (1997) assert the need for educators tochange their ways of conceptualising a range of cultural issues and to re-evaluate the theories uponwhich many of their educational assumptions are based. Enhanced awareness and understanding ofMāori cultural concepts can enrich educational practices and may even lead to a reconceptualisation ofexisting knowledge. Certainly Bishop has argued over the last decade that solutions for Māori do not liein the culture that has traditionally marginalised Māori; rather, solutions lie in Māori culture itself(Bishop, 1996; Bishop et al., 2003).Māori Cultural SolutionsImportantly, Māori cultural solutions can stem from both traditional and contemporary culturalknowledge. Today kaupapa Māori theorising and metaphors are used more widely to inform policiesand practices across a range of sectors and initiatives (Bishop, 2005; Mead, 1997; L. Smith, 1999). Assuch, kaupapa Māori is a dynamic framework in which to understand the world, to claim space and towork for change. Pōwhiri (formal rituals of encounter) is a kaupapa Māori initiative that can provide apowerful analogy for the notion of “claiming spaces” (Glynn, Berryman, Walker, Reweti & O’Brien,2001).Durie (2006) proposes the important notion of space whereby a realistic degree of distance isnecessary at the outset until a relationship has formed. Durie contends that acknowledging a level ofdistance provides an effective stage for clarifying the terms under which parties come together andengage. Conversely, diminished distance may precipitate fear and panic or alternatively lead towithdrawal. Either situation could impact negatively on the processes for building relationships andestablishing engagement. Understanding the concept of the boundaries within these spaces requiresmaking the necessary distinctions between groups such as tangata whenua (hosts) and manuhiri(visitors), the living and the dead, the right and the left, men and women, the old and the young.Appreciation of these distinctions enables mutually respected boundaries to be defined without pretenceand can provide a platform upon which respectful engagement, trust and purposeful interactions mayemerge. Within these spaces, adhering to the domain of time means that being on time is less importantthan allocating, taking or expanding time in order to ensure that processes are completed properly; thatthey are being accorded the time that they deserve.Building RelationshipsPōwhiri and mihi whakatau (rituals of encounter) are essential for building relationships and inclusivepractices across iwi and across different groups of people but they can also serve as metaphors forbuilding relationships across worldviews (Berryman, 2008). Important functions of pōwhiri are to greetthe icons and images that represent the tribal places and ancestors and the people present on the day,and also to represent oneself in a way that makes sense within a Māori worldview. The kaikaranga(caller) then the kaikōrero (orators) exchange formal greetings, drawing on their extensive knowledgeof whakapapa to establish extended family relationships and other important connections between thetwo groups. These greetings recognize and respond to the mana (autonomy, dignity, integrity) of theother side by acknowledging their ancestors and any of their members who have died recently. Thegreetings also acknowledge the living elders and all those who have passed on. Complementary to thewhaikōrero (oration) are the waiata (songs), many drawing on traditional Māori knowledge and133