Cultural & Intellectual Property

By Grapeman4 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20301577The posts in this category discuss cultural appropriation of traditional and customary Māori knowledge. This section also offers solutions to stop and prevent further appropriation.

This category is also a useful resource to prevent and educate businesses from mistakenly appropriating Māori cultural knowledge.

How AI can help Indigenous language revitalisation, and why data sovereignty is important

Originally published: Last updated: by
MRW

Using the interview with Michael Running Wolf at https://www-cbc-ca.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7290740 , I offer some commentary and key warnings for Māori language that I am already seeing occurring here in Aotearoa New Zealand.   “Indigenous language experts working in computer science say Artificial Intelligence is a useful tool in language revitalization but communities must prioritize the ownership … Read more

Safeguarding whānau, iwi, hapū, marae, rōpū from AI-generated deep fakes

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Deepfakes are forms of digitally altered media — including photos, videos and audio clips — that seem to depict a real person. They are created by training an AI system on real clips featuring a person, and then using that AI system to generate realistic (yet inauthentic) new media. Deepfake use is becoming more common. … Read more

Facebook’s Meta AI tool

Originally published: Last updated: by

In a classic example of AI hallucinating or lying, Meta AI does lie to you. Or perhaps the AI engineers thought it would be funny to add the misinformation to Meta AI? There’s no way to disable Meta AI from either Facebook or Instagram. I asked Meta AI if I could disable it, and the … Read more

Scammers target Māori Tangi

Originally published: Last updated: by
kawakawa

In a new threat to Māori online,  a new scam is increasing where scammers are creating false social media accounts as death/tangi notices and online funeral streaming accounts. This is a scam. Facebook and other social media has become an essential way of communications, particularly with Māori. Many of us find that if we stop … Read more

Consumer Guidelines for Māori Non Fungible Tokens

Originally published: Last updated: by
nft

As with any new technology there are positives and often more negatives for Māori and other Indigenous Peoples protecting their traditional knowledge from abuse, appropriation and theft. In the short time that Non Fungible Tokens have been created, traded and advertised online there is a large amount of cultural appropriation and stolen images being transformed … Read more

Tikanga with face swapping filters and deep fakes

Originally published: Last updated: by

Using traditional Māori knowledge, I discuss cultural appropriateness of deep fakes and face swapping filters. Some of this discussion is also applicable to Facial Recognition systems. Apart form Māori, this article may be of interest to developers and organizations with Facial Recognition Systems. It is against tikanga Māori (customary beliefs) to have your image on … Read more

Culturally Safe Mihimihi for non Māori

Originally published: Last updated: by

At the beginning of meetings, as practiced on marae and in meetings all over the country, a round of introductions and speeches usually occurs. During this time, Māori ordinarily stand to share a little bit about where they come from and who they are. If you are of Māori descent, these introductions often start with … Read more

Can the Māori Language be colonised if used with AI and other digital technologies?

Originally published: Last updated: by
rangatiratanga

This brief article looks at the idea that the Māori language will be colonised if used in speech recognition, machine learning, AI and other linguist technologies. This article makes the argument that the Māori language can not be colonised and that by making such statements will only hinder Māori Peoples and wellbeing. As technology is … Read more

Māori Culture Guidelines for Brand Owners and Marketing

Originally published: Last updated: by
appropriation

These high level guidelines have been written by Karaitiana Taiuru who has been involved with Māori Cultural rights, Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge and assisting brands both in New Zealand and internationally for over 25 years. Last updated January 10 2021. The motivation to write this document is to provide an introduction to Māori cultural appropriation … Read more

Classic racist reply to claims of cultural appropriation

Originally published: Last updated: by
rangatiratanga

I have been calling out and educating perpetrators of cultural appropriation for decades. Of the hundreds of responses and abuse mocking me, there is a common theme as follows: As a Maori/Indigenous Person (etc) you wear European clothes, a European watch, use a computer that your people didn’t use to have, drive a car which … Read more

Māori business self identification

Originally published: Last updated: by
rangatiratanga

Stuff reported a story that Māori businesses will soon have the opportunity to self identify as Maori. For the first time, a national register will let companies say if they identify as a Māori business. A change to the National Business Number register will give Māori enterprises the option to record data that identifies them … Read more

Kingi appropriation or ill informed individuals

Originally published: Last updated: by
rangatiratanga

The NZ Herald and Stuff have run a number of stories about a restaurant using the name “Kingi” and a few Māori and non Māori claiming it is cultural appropriation. The arguments are in my opinion getting so absurd that that I worry about the knowledge of some people who claim to be cultural experts … Read more

Govt app discriminates against Māori language in another embarrassing ICT lesson

Originally published: Last updated: by
rangatiratanga

Another embarrassing lesson for the ICT and Digital industry when working with the New Zealand government. If you don’t consider Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti with digital projects you could unintentionally discriminate against Māori, Treaty and in this case legislation that protects and enhances the Māori Language. The New Zealand Covid app provided by the Ministry … Read more

Eroding tikanga of the hongi

Originally published: Last updated: by

The recent introduction of kissing females on the cheek and ignoring the customary practice of a hongi creates a number of issues including the loss of tikanga and the real possibility of discriminating against people in our community. THe earliest written account in the South Island of Ngai Tahu of the traditional practice of the … Read more

5G spectrum is a taonga Māori

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Māori have an unique opportunity to gain substantial social, economic and educational advantages with 5G spectrum now that the government has allocated Māori a slice. The biggest risk is the lack of consultation with the handful of treaty claimants who it appears to be making the same mistake again as occurred with 3G spectrum allocation … Read more

Kiwiana, Religious abuse or appropriation?

Originally published: Last updated: by
tiki

This article discusses the inappropriate and satirical usage of Māori religious icons and racial stereotypes of Māori in the Tasti bar advert that TVNZ recently played on air. The advert is also online here.   UPDATE: Tasti apologise and state they will remove the advert. Their media statement here.     The advert promotes racism … Read more

Tips to protect tapu and Māori knowledge online

Originally published: Last updated: by
appropriation

Cultural appropriation of taonga Māori online is continually increasing despite the backlash on social media and in the media (mainstream and Māori). Just recently one art shop in Nelson who continued to offer offensive culturally appropriated art, despite apologising to the local Iwi, was forced to shut down. This post provides a number of suggestions … Read more