Journeys towards decolonising research practices in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT

This perspective piece focuses on attempts to reshape research in Aotearoa New Zealand in ways that honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the country's founding treaty between Māori and the Crown. These obligations establish dimensions of responsible research in this context that go beyond European-devised Responsible Innovation (RI) frameworks. We reflect on these requirements and how they are addressed within two public research organisations. Considering growing tensions between attempts to decolonise the Aotearoa science system and systemic challenges to enacting responsible research, we explore initiatives that seek to translate Te Tiriti obligations into research practices. While not articulated as RI, we discuss commonalities between these approaches and tenets of RI. Our reflections highlight the centrality of meaningful partnerships for enabling responsible research and the institutional structures required to support such relationships within Aotearoa. The paper concludes with questions around if, and how, the maturing RI scholarship can support decolonising research practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• public good science
• decolonisation
• responsible innovation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 AgResearch, Institute of Environmental Science Research, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Plant and Food Research, and Scion.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Notes on contributors

S. Finlay-Smits

S. Finlay-Smits is an anthropologist working as an Environmental Social Scientist at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. Her work focuses on the socio-cultural dimensions of the Aotearoa science system and the use of natural resources, with a particular focus on decolonisation, sustainability, biosecurity, and biodiversity.

S. Manning

S. Manning is a senior social scientist with the ESR Social Systems Team. Her work is increasingly focused on the sociocultural and ethical issues around implementing new scientific technologies, using transdisciplinary and systems thinking approaches.

P. Edwards

P. Edwards is a Senior social science researcher at Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research with a background in sociology and political science.

M. Walton

M. Walton is Science Leader in Social Systems Team at ESR. Mat's research focuses on application of systems and complexity thinking in public policy, programme design and evaluation.

C. Koroheke

C. Koroheke is AgResearch's Urungi Māori Strategy Director and his role on the Senior Leadership Team is to strengthen the relationships across the burgeoning Maori agribusiness sector. Chris's iwi affiliations are with Ngati Maniapoto, Ngāti Wai and the Te Rarawa/Te Aupouri people.

M. Espig

M. Espig is a cultural anthropologist based in Christchurch, New Zealand. His research interests focus on equitable techno-scientific innovation processes and responsible environmental policy implementation as the foundations for sustainable primary industries.