Mahi Tahi mo Te Hinonga: Indigenous Collaboration for Enterprise and the role of Indigenous Business Networks

Whai Rawa - Māori Economies

Economic Development

Year Project Commenced :

2018

Kia Ārohi Kia Mārama - Scoping Excellence

This project explores the role that enterprise plays in indigenous self-determination. In New Zealand, we have chosen to examine Māori business networks (MBNs), which we argue are a manifestation of this struggle, but suffer from the absence of a sustainable business model. Our research question is, 'what is the role of Māori business networks in Māori self-determination and sustainable economic development'?

The project is about enhancing regional Māori economies and the capability of Māori entrepreneurs and the performance of Māori enterprises. This is to be achieved by studying Māori business networks (MBNs) as 'contextually specific' and understudied intermediaries in regional Māori economies. The project is part of an international indigenous research project entitled 'Mahi Tahi mo Te Hinonga: Indigenous Collaboration for Enterprise' (or 'ICE'). ICE explores the role that enterprise plays in indigenous self-determination in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

These countries were chosen because of their common British colonial history and its ongoing impact on indigenous peoples, and as signatories to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Research partners in each country are responsible for securing local funding for their part in the project and defining the scope of their country-cases.

In New Zealand, we have chosen to examine Māori business networks, which we argue, epitomise the Māori struggle for self-determination, but suffer from the absence of a sustainable business model. Our primary research question is, 'what is the role of Māori business networks in Māori self-determination and sustainable economic development'? Our contention is that Māori business networks do contribute, but how this is understood and enacted is tacit knowledge of those involved. We intend, through this research, to uncover the 'thinking,' 'being' and 'doing' associated with regional Māori business networks for their own purposes and as insights for indigenous business networks in our partner countries.

Subsidiary questions are:

why do Māori business networks exist?
how do Māori business networks exist?
what are the enablers and barriers to their existence?

INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2018

13-16 November 2018 - Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland, Aotearoa - New Zealand

"INDIGENOUS FUTURES"

View conference website

Te Hononga Pūkenga

Te Hononga Pūkenga - ‘the connection of experts’, was created by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga to make Māori and Indigenous research expertise, location and contact information readily available, in response to the need for stronger engagement between Māori Researchers and Government, the wider public/private sector and to facilitate our communities to access us as Māori & Indigenous researchers. Visit site.

News & Events

NPM Board Chair Concludes His Term

Sir Tīpene O'Regan chaired his final Board meeting of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM) last week. After 12 years of leading the Board and guiding NPM, Sir Tīpene will conclude his tenure at year end.

Sir Tīpene arrived at NPM in August 2006 having led the Ngāi Tahu Waitangi Tribunal and Treaty settlement claims process. He was an architect of the Treaty Fisheries Settlements, had been founding chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana, Assistant Vice Chancellor Māori at the University of Canterbury and a long serving Chair of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board.

2018 International Indigenous Research Conference

On Friday 16th November, we farewelled 100s of delegates who had gathered for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga's 8 continuous days of Indigenous celebration and research excellence of our 8th Biennial International Indigenous Research Conference.

Indigenous students, community and tertiary researchers and policy makers from around the world connected in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland once again, for focused knowledge sharing on the potential of our Indigenous futures.

Recognition for a lifetimes work

Amongst twenty new Fellows and three Honorary Fellows recently elected to the Academy of the Royal Society Te Apārangi for their distinction in research and advancement of science, technology and the humanities were NPM Co-Director Professor Waimarie Nikora and Principal Investigator Professor Angus Macfarlane.

Professor Angus Macfarlane (University of Canterbury)

Celebrating NPM Researchers Success

The successful 2018 Marsden Fund recipients have been announced from across the country and this year the list includes many past and present NPM researchers working as Principal Investigators and Associate Investigators on a number of new, engaging and exciting projects.

The Marsden Fund grants support New Zealand’s best investigator-initiated research in the areas of science, engineering, maths, social sciences and the humanities and it is important that research borne out of matauranga Māori has been recognised and celebrated this year.

An Enhanced Research Focus

Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga has announced a comprehensive suite of nine new research platforms, which are contributing to an enhanced research focus for NPM and designed to deliver innovation in areas of significant research challenge for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Working collaboratively across our 21 institutional partners and coordinating with a wide group of researchers, NPM has developed these platforms to further empower and drive Māori communities towards greater economic, cultural, social and environmental well-being.

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Mahi Tahi mo Te Hinonga: Indigenous Collaboration for Enterprise and the role of Indigenous Business Networks