Te Hoe Nuku Roa: A journey towards Maori centered research

Abstract

Maori people have a unique body of knowledge that, while based on ancestral traditions, has adapted to meet contemporary challenges. While Maori knowledge is widely applied in Maori communities it is now increasingly being used in mainstream domains. This paper will focus on a project known as Best Outcomes For Māori: Te Hoe Nuku Roa Maori Profiles, alongitudinal Maori household project with a focus on Maoridevelopment in cultural, social and economic terms. Thisproject is based on a cultural framework that has beenformulated from ‘traditional’ principles. It provides a model for the interaction between Maori knowledge and mainstream social science practices and demonstrates how Maori knowledge and the Western scientific tradition can be used together to resolve critical failings in previous research and advance the aspirations of Maori people. It is just one example of how traditional principles are demonstrating their continuing value in contemporary Maori development. “The challenge today is to survive as Māori,to retain a Maori identity, while still being able to participatefully in society and in the communities of the world.” (Durie 1997)