traditional knowledge conference 2008 te tatau pounamu

Table 11. Determining relationshipsInterventions initiated from a MāoriperspectiveInterventions initiated from a WesternperspectiveWho are you and how will we worktogether?The relationship determines how wewill engage with the interventionDetermined by our connections witheach otherWhat is the problem and how can Ifix it?The system (intervention) determineshow we will engage in therelationshipsDetermined by expertise, wealth andpositionFrom a Māori perspective it is largely understood that time spent developing relationships willdetermine how effective the uptake and participation of Māori will be at all other points.Western systems are dominated by hierarchical roles and structures where power relations areoften determined by race, ethnicity, gender, age, class and cultural and social capital. Leaders in suchorganizations are reluctant to challenge the power of the status quo, even though these systems arefailing, because it is within these structures that they obtain their position and power. As a result peoplein Western systems, even those who might espouse personal values contrary to the mainstream political,ideological and cultural values, are stuck in unproductive ways of creating relationships relative tointerventions.Table 22. Setting the agendaInterventions initiated from a MāoriperspectiveInterventions initiated from a WesternperspectiveGrows out of and is driven by therelationshipsKawa [marae protocol] and tikanga[custom] support the agendaFocused on potentialRoles and responsibilities arecollaboratively determinedGrows out of and is driven by theresourceBounded by rules and regulationsFocused on the problemDesignated roles and responsibilitiesFrom a Māori perspective the agenda is driven by the relationships that have been developed.When time is prioritised to develop effective relationships and networks, cultural protocols emergewherein professional and personal roles and responsibilities are collaboratively and effectivelydetermined.Western agendas are often set without questioning the status quo because the power of thedominant consciousness renders any contrary worldview/perspective as unrealistic and impractical.While the pōwhiri serves as a metaphor for addressing interventions from a traditional Māoriperspective, Western meetings can serve as a metaphor for how people operate in these systems. Atmeetings, people are divided between their personal and professional self, with the professional roledominating relations and the personal self rendered invisible and undervalued. People are seen asreplaceable parts of the system and are valued based on their efficiency. Their roles are viewed in a silorather than as a contribution to the whole.136