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 Maori: Te Hoe Nuku Roa Maori Profiles, a longitudinal Maori household project with a focus on Maori development in cultural, social and economic terms. This project is based on a cultural framework that has been formulated 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 Maori, to retain a Maori identity, while still being able to participate fully in society and in the communities of the world." (Durie 1997)