The Field of Indigenous Development – A New Field of Study

Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga is a world class centre of research in the field of indigenous development. So what is indigenous development?

Indigenous development is a new academic discipline that builds upon a number of existing fields of study, including native studies and Māori studies. It is multi-disciplinary and makes use of the sciences (both theoretical and applied), humanities and arts to explore issues and opportunities facing indigenous communities worldwide. It is particularly interested in the traditional knowledge of these communities as a way of addressing needs and opportunities, and as a contribution to the way in which humankind experiences, understands and explains the phenomena of life.

Indigenous development has two major focuses:
The development of indigenous peoples: creating benefits and positive outcomes through research for indigenous communities
Encouraging distinctiveness of indigenous communities: their assets, resources, people, knowledge and organisation, leading to the fostering of indigeneity worldwide.

Indigenous development creates and sustains meaningful relationships between the scholarly academy and indigenous communities. It foresees research in which indigenous communities are heavily involved – setting priorities, conducting the research and identifying and sharing outcomes and benefits.