For the love of it : encountering te ao Māori : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
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Date
2020
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Massey University
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Abstract
Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti) and the principles developed from it have increasingly been included in strategic plans, legislation, job descriptions, and interview questions, creating a bridge between te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā. This research aims to look at the encounters of those who are non-Māori within te ao Māori, through their work and their process of decolonisation. There are three participants involved in this research who are all storytellers, and their storytelling became methodology and theory, as well as influencing the structure of the thesis itself. Their stories of encounter shifted the research to focus on decolonisation, experiences of whiteness, and what it takes to support Te Tiriti principles in practice. In encountering te ao Māori they shared their experiences with constant reference to Mātauranga Māori, leading to the theory being drawn from within te ao Māori. Their experiences thread their way through the thesis from start to finish rather than being confined to a section on findings, honouring that each step of the process was guided by the participants’ recognitions, their ‘aha’ moments, and what had meaning for them. The participants’ stories revealed a deep commitment to the principle of rangatiratanga - to Māori having the right to sovereignty – and their encounters showed that this came through their love of te ao Māori. Love wove its way through the project, asking what it takes to work in love and how this relates to decolonisation. The research occurred at a time of fermenting ideas and actions around anti-racism work, bookended by the Ōtautahi mosque attacks and the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police. These events took this work from the fringes of the participants’ workplaces to the front page of newspapers and right across social media feeds. These events inspire an ongoing question of the relevance of this research to those affected by racism concluding that only in redefining love as a verb, will this research reach those who inspired it.