School of People Environment and Planning

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    Exploring the roles of women in indigenous businesses based on customary land : case studies from Papua New Guinea : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Steven, Hennah
    The purpose of this research is to explore how indigenous enterprises based on customary land in Papua New Guinea (PNG) work to empower women. This research is part of the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden project “The land has eyes and teeth”: customary landowners’ entanglements with economic systems in the Pacific that draws upon the notion of land as ‘assemblage’ (Li, 2014). The study brought in a gendered dimension to the project to understand how economic engagements on customary land involve and benefit women. Three examples of small-medium indigenous enterprises from PNG were selected as case studies. Utilising the Pacific Vanua and Tali magimagi influenced research framework, the involvement of women in these cases was examined to understand how they contributed to and benefited from small business engagements on customary land. From executing a mixture of tok stori/stori sessions (storytelling, conversations), semi-structured interviews and participatory observation, the study revealed the significance of indigenous social values and practices that were of critical support to business sustainability on customary land. Women played an important role as the ‘social glue’ within the businesses, maintaining the local value of wanbel to keep social cohesion and harmony within the businesses, communities and, with associated people. This was seen through their work on the maintenance of wellbeing for workers, relatives and communities; meeting socio-cultural obligations and responsibilities, and allowing spiritual values and beliefs to influence their actions and decisions. The desire to maintain these social values influenced the way they behaved. They also played direct business roles as co-managers, financial managers, workers and producers that helped to support business viability and retain customary land for the benefit of the family, clan and community. Further, women benefited from these businesses in various ways including gaining recognition and status in their households and communities. The study shows that customary land ownership is not a barrier to economic development, as widely held perceptions would suggest, rather it is an asset that can facilitate different forms of local development for people and communities in PNG and in the wider Pacific. There is a need to understand economic-centred intentions alongside the social-cultural interests of women to drive context-specific development. A culturally appropriate gender-sensitive framework is proposed in this thesis as an alternative development framework that can guide the work of government policymakers, development agencies and donors to formulate inclusive development programmes that also support women’s other interests in PNG and the Pacific.
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    'E da dravudravua e na dela ni noda vutuni-i-yau' : customary land and economic development : case studies from Fiji : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirement of the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa
    (Massey University, 2020) Vunibola, Suliasi
    The purpose of this research is to determine how indigenous Fijian communities have been able to establish models of economic undertaking which allow successful business development while retaining control over their customary land and supporting community practices and values. External critics frequently emphasise that customary practices around land restrict economic development and undermine investments in the Pacific. There is also assertion that within the Pacific islands, culture and customary measures are mostly viewed as impediments of hopeful development. This research seeks to switch-over these claims by examining how customary land and measures facilitate successful business forms in Fiji. Along with the overarching qualitative methodology - a novel combination of the Vanua Research Framework, Tali Magimagi Research Framework, and the Bula Vakavanua Research Framework - a critical appreciative enquiry approach was used. This led to the development of the Uvi (yam - dioscorea alata) Framework which brings together the drauna (leaves) representing the capturing of knowledge, vavakada (stake) indicating the support mechanisms for indigenous entrepreneurship on customary land, uvi (yam tuber) signifying the indicators for sustainable development of indigenous business on customary land, and taking into consideration the external factors and community where the indigenous business is located. Case studies on three successful indigenous Fijian businesses based on customary land were conducted in two geographical locations in Fiji, and methods included talanoa, active participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. This study found that customary tenure and cultural values can support socially embedded economic development activities in the Pacific. It also reinstates the inherent value of customary land as an intergenerational resource aiding self-determined and inclusive development, including economic activities that provide holistic returns to communities as in socio-cultural contributions and community development initiatives. The businesses were able to be sustainable by devising mechanisms that balance daily business and community contributions. The study concludes that locally-driven development on customary land could be a model for alternative forms of economic development, thus, helping to reshape understanding of economies in Fiji and the wider Pacific.
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    Nga Rauru : ka maro te kaki o te Kotuku : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1992) Walsh, Michael Wehi Mailetonga
    This thesis is concerned with the development of a resource: land, so as to provide an economic base that will sustain social and cultural activities for the iwi of Nga Rauru. Chapter One of the thesis reveals the various Acts and legislations and reasons that made land a source of conflict between Maori and Pakeha during the Nineteenth century. This is the first period of land alienation. Chapter Two highlights the Acts and legislation of the Twentieth century that continued to alienate Maori from their land. Attempts to counter this land alienation are also discussed. In Chapter Three a block of Maori land, originally Crown granted in 1882, is used to show the process of fragmentation and alienation which has produced the situation today: there is still Maori land left in the block, but it is largely leased to local Pakeha farmers. The consequences of land alienation to Maori in general, and where possible Nga Rauru specifically, is discussed in Chapter Four. Economic, cultural, spiritual, social and political factors are viewed in an attempt to gauge Nga Rauru's present 'well-being'. The final chapter calls for the utlisation of Nga Rauru lands to be returned to the iwi. A scenario concentrating on forestry development is used to indicate possible costs and returns to the iwi, in economic and social terms. The chapter concludes that there is a need for Nga Rauru to establish a Development Unit to facilitate desired economic growth for the iwi.
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    Development possibilities and customary land tenure in the Pacific : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2007) Rockell, Dennis Graham
    In parts of Africa and the Pacific, the majority of land remains in customary tenure, perhaps in modified form. This thesis explores the question of whether it is possible to retain customary land tenure in a development context. Major development agencies such as the World Bank have, at times, placed pressure on developing countries to convert customary land into forms of tenure more compatible with boosting agricultural production. The Vanuatu constitution specified upon the nation's independence in 1980 that all land was to be returned to the custom owners. This thesis investigates how Vanuatu has grappled with the apparently conflicting objectives of customary tenure and economic development. An attempt was made to give the issue maximum possible focus by choosing the West Coast of Tanna Island as the location of study. Here, urbanisation and infrastructural development is attempted in surroundings where the majority of land has never been removed from customary tenure. The very small areas alienated during the colonial period have become the principal localities for such development. Must customary tenure or modernisation triumph, one over the other, or is it possible to achieve some of the benefits of modernisation without betraying the intent of the Vanuatu constitution? The thesis comes to no simple conclusion, but examines closely how this contradiction is unfolding and suggests that there are grounds for optimism, while noting the unrelenting nature of the forces for change.
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    The evolution of benefit sharing agreements in Papua New Guinea : what are the lessons learnt and what are the prospects for the future? : a research presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2013) Anoser, Killian Saulmai
    With an abundance of natural resources, the extractive and fishery exploitation at a developed stage, Papua New Guinea (PNG) should have been at the top end of the developing world, however, this has not materialised. PNG is going through the dilemmas of development through high rate of resource exploitation and unequal distribution of benefits that is having detrimental effect on the economy and general living standard. Many have questioned why this situation has existed without being addressed. It is also acknowledged here that there has been much literature that has been written on the environment and social impacts of resource project, however, there has been little written on the benefits flowing through to those people affected by resource developments. This report attempts to address those benefit sharing issues. A review of past and current projects and how they distributed benefits has provided a baseline from which the most important elements for future benefit sharing have been identified. These are that BSA are negotiated, legally binding agreements that recognise property rights, are internationally recognised, they allocate and demarcate responsibilities and ensure development coherence. Using these characteristics, a fair and equitable benefit sharing could then be developed for resource projects in Papua New Guinea.