Indigenous peoples and the official statistics system in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Abstract

The notion that data do not exist absolutely but are created through measurement highlights the importance of the measurement process in producing relevant knowledge. As Stiglitz et al. (2009: 7) have argued: ‘What we measure affects what we do; and if our measurements are flawed, decisions may be distorted.’ This understanding is crucial when considering the implications and concerns raised regarding the collection, ownership and application of statistics pertaining to indigenous peoples. Many national statistics offices (NSOs) around the world have systems in place to derive statistics relating to their indigenous peoples. Arguably, New Zealand has gone further than any