Māori data sovereignty

Researchers are encouraged to consider responsiveness to Māori and Māori data sovereignty in grant and ethics applications and throughout the research data lifecycle.

Professor Tahu Kukutai, University of Waikato, spoke about Māori data and data sovereignty at the National Digital Forum in 2018. Te Mana Raraunga (Māori Data Sovereignty Network) provides definitions, resources, and an overview of their principles of Māori data sovereignty:

• Rangatiratanga - Authority: Control, jurisdiction, self-determination
• Whakapapa - Relationships: Context, data disaggregation, future use
• Whanaungatanga - Obligations: Balancing rights, accountabilities
• Kotahitanga - Collective benefit: Benefit, build capacity, connect
• Manaakitanga - Reciprocity: Respect, consent
• Kaitiakitanga - Guardianship: Guardianship, ethics, restrictions

The principles can be applied when starting your research planning through data capture, storage and governance.

The Māori data sovereignty and CARE data principles can complement the FAIR principles by encouraging open and other data movements to consider both people and purpose.

For practical steps to balance the data principles, refer to: FAIR data principles.

University resources

• He Korowai Mātauranga - an overview of University resources, contacts and important links for researchers.
• Te Ara Tika - a framework for researchers and ethics committee members developed by Pūtaiora (Māori members of ethics committees) and the National Ethics Advisory Committee (NEAC), recommended to Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences researchers by Responsiveness to Māori, Office of the Tumuaki.
• Te Ira Kāwai, the Auckland Regional Tissue Bank - an example of Māori involvement in governance.

External resources

• A Wai 262 Best Practice Guide for Science Partnerships with Kaitiaki for Research Involving Taonga, Rauika Māngai (working with taonga such as species of indigenous flora and fauna and mātauranga Māori)
• Interpretation: Code of Professional Standards and Ethics in Science, Technology, and the Humanities, Royal Society of New Zealand
• Māori Algorithmic Sovereignty: Idea, Principles, and Use, 2024 research article.
• National Ethical Standards for Health and Disability Research and Quality Improvement, National Ethics Advisory Committee
• Mana Raraunga Data Sovereignty: He aha tēnei, ā, he aha tōna pānga ki Aotearoa? What is it and why does it matter in Aotearoa New Zealand? (2023 report provides a comprehensive list of references)
• Māori Data Governance Model, 2023 report from Te Kahui Raraunga
• Māori Data Sovereignty and Privacy, 2023 report published by Te Ngira Institute for Population Research
• National Ethical Standards for Health and Disability Research and Quality Improvement, National Ethics Advisory Committee
• Ngā Tikanga Paihere: Data toolkit (from data.govt.nz)
• Redefining Data Sovereignty: Māori Data Governance in the Digital Age, 2025 case study
• Storying Māori data sovereignty (Te Atawhai o Te Ao)
• Te Kāhui Raraunga: Resources
• Vision Mātauranga, MBIE

Research Data Support Services
Email: researchdata@auckland.ac.nz