traditional knowledge conference 2008 te tatau pounamu

diagnosis (PGD). 2 Toi te Taiao (Bioethics Council) has recently published a report on the cultural,ethical and spiritual aspects of pre-birth testing and has recommended liberalizing the law surroundingpre-birth testing in New Zealand (Toi te Taiao, 2008). A couple of the many recommendations made bythe council were to undertake research on the nature of tikanga Māori associated with the use of PGD tocreate embryos, and that the use of PGD for sex selection for non-medical reasons should not beprohibited. These recommendations have wide ranging implications for Māori and non-Māori.Potential Scenarios to ConsiderThere are many different scenarios that may occur when whānau suffer from issues associated withinfertility. Many questions spring forth and possibilities abound when considering the use of ART. Thefollowing examples are just a few of the many scenarios that will face whānau when engaging withthese technologies.Whāngai (adoption) is a traditional practice of addressing the issue of infertility for Māori (Smith &Reynolds, 2006). With the advent of technology, how has this practice changed in response tocontemporary practice, and how has surrogacy, in its varied forms, affected the practice of whāngai?The traditional notion of whānau is rapidly changing. There are no longer the definitive whakapapa(genealogical) links between whānau, and ART has enabled the anonymity and loss of whakapapa tothose being conceived via these interventions. The use of donated sperm, eggs and embryos byindividuals and couples wishing to conceive may assist in the growth of a child but also hasimplications. Any children conceived as a result of these donations are a continuation of the whakapapaof the donor, regardless of whether they are known to the child or not.Ethical dilemmas arise from the storage and selection of frozen sperm, eggs and embryos.Considerations of when does life begin and what happens to the wairua or spirit of sperm, eggs andembryos while suspended in frozen storage must be made. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis offers amyriad of options for the consumer although not all possibilities are currently available in NewZealand—yet. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis technology allows for embryos to be selectedaccording to the absence or presence of specific traits; for example, whānau that suffer from aninherited genetic disease may be able to create a number of embryos via IVF and then screen theseembryos for the presence of the disease and discard the affected embryos while keeping the unaffectedfor further use. Sex selection of embryos is possible with this technology although not yet an optionaccording to the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (HART) Act 2004.These examples are just a few that whānau may face when struggling with issues associated withinfertility, hence the importance of providing tikanga and mātauranga Māori information to supportwhānau and allow for greater understanding for Māori and service providers.ConclusionEvidence that infertility is an issue for whānau and Māori is growing. The needs of whānau that arestruggling with issues associated with infertility include the lack of tikanga and mātauranga Māoriinformation related to fertility, reproduction and assisted reproductive technologies. In response to thesegrowing needs this project, He Kakano: Historical and Contemporary Maori Views of Fertility,Reproduction and ART, was born. Gathering this information will enable a kete (basket) of tikanga andmātauranga Māori to be weaved and presented for Māori and non-Māori to contribute to a greaterunderstanding of Māori views of infertility.Glossaryarerohapūihuira tangatatongueclannosehuman genes2 PGD is when the genetic status of each embryo is determined before it is transferred into the uterus (FertilityAssociates, 2008).199