traditional knowledge conference 2008 te tatau pounamu

Indigenous Women, Research and the Law:Taranaki Māori Women SpeakKerensa JohnstonNgāruahine, Te ĀtiawaFaculty of Law, The University of AucklandThe ancients among the People understood that all of creation—seen and unseen—tells story. Inthe long-ago time, from birth to earth, the People learned about their harmonious place in theorder of all creation by listening to and telling story. Their identity was inextricably interwovenin the stories they were told. For Native People, story was and continues to be essential to anindividual’s identity construction and development. (Lee Francis, 2003)IntroductionMāori women have always understood the importance of telling stories. We talk to one another toconvey information, share knowledge, make sense of our past and articulate our hopes for the future.We communicate in other ways, too, telling stories through karanga (customary call or welcome),waiata (songs) and other art forms. These forms of communication connect us to our ancestors andground us in our identity as Māori.This presentation discusses a research project entitled He iti, he taonga: Taranaki Māori womenspeak which developed from the need to “give voice” to Māori women and to illustrate that we have ourown unique ways of analysing the world. This is part of a wider project related to the recovery ofindigenous knowledge that is being undertaken by indigenous scholars in Aotearoa/New Zealand and inother parts of the world. As Angela Cavender Wilson, a Wahetunwan Dakota Professor of IndianHistory, argues:[this] recovery of Indigenous knowledge is survivalist in nature, not only because of its potentialto restore health and dignity to our people, but also because of how it will assist us in advancingour political aims against our oppressors. It originates among Indigenous people and openlyendorses an Indigenous agenda. This flagrant dedication to Indigenous goals is openly politicalbecause it defies those who have been defining our existence for us and who have attempted tomake us believe that we are incapable of self-determination. (2004, p. 74)Although a great deal has been written about Māori women, particularly by Pākehā (New Zealanderof European descent) male scholars and more recently by statisticians and government researchers, it isdifficult to find and access material that has been written or presented by Māori women. Very fewbooks contain our stories and perspectives in our own words. Often our words are drowned out byothers who speak on our behalf; we are reduced to a statistic or, worse, our perspectives are notincluded at all. However, until our ideas and perspectives are considered and included, thetransformation of current models and practices so that they are better aligned with Māori values andaspirations is impossible. This transformation of structures and models is taking place in all areas—health, education and political organization—and Māori women have a vital role to play in all of this.The Research Project—He iti, he taonga: Taranaki Māori women speakHe iti, he taonga began with a series of interviews conducted with 16 Taranaki Māori women over thecourse of a two-year period. Most of the interviews took place in the women’s homes or in the homes ofwhānau (family) members on the west coast of the North Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The womenranged in age, background and experiences. Some of the women are urban based, having lived most oftheir lives in the city, whereas others live in rural areas and have grown up with strong attachments totheir marae (ancestral meeting place) and traditional land.The interviews were conducted as part of a wider research project designed to investigate theperspectives of a broad range of Māori women on issues relevant to their daily lives and experiences.210