Facial Recognition risks, opportunities that impact Māori. New Zealand’s Biometrics Code is also featured here.
At the end of November 2020, the Law Commission released a report on DNA samples in Criminal Investigations that made sweeping recommendations that included protecting Māori cultural rights and recognising Te Tiriti obligations. It recommended that the law governing the taking of DNA samples the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Act (CIBS Act) be updated to … Read more
The New Zealand Police, Customs, Ministry of Justice, DIA and other government agencies have a wide arsenal of Facial Recognition technologies with little or no regulation or consultation with Māori. This will likely lead to the likelihood of further widespread discrimination and cultural unsafe practices that will directly impact Māori as we have already seen … Read more
Update: All Māori Data Sovereignty posts have been combined and updated into a Compendium of Māori Data Sovereignty – https://www.taiuru.co.nz/compendium-of-maori-data-sovereignty/ A new and inclusive of all Māori people and societies, not just Iwi as has been the status quo since Māori Data Sovereignty was first discussed in 2016 or thereabouts, definitions of Māori Data and Māori … Read more
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
In 2019 the Law Commission called for public submissions regarding the Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations. This is my public submission and impacts on Māori culture and Tikanga Māori. Introduction What is a Taonga Why DNA is a Taonga C.1 Tikanga C.2 Traditional Knowledge Data Sovereignty of DNA samples Māori world view Recommendations References … Read more
Introduction What is a Taonga Tikanga –Whakapapa – Mauri – Wairua Traditional Knowledge Loss of customary knowledge Data Sovereignty of DNA samples Digital Colonisation Tikanga Test Links of Interest References Download the paper in pdf Introduction This paper was originally written in direct response to the Law Commission’s public consultation (and forms a part of … Read more
Law Commission is seeking public submissions on DNA with criminal cases. Submissions close: 31 March 2019. DNA is a Taonga: A Customary Māori Perspective view The aims of the consultation are to ensure that the law (Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Act 1995) governing the use of DNA in criminal investigations is: Fit for purpose Constitutionally sound Accessible … Read more
Also see Māori Data is a Taonga Chapter Also of interest and diverse views, an interview in English with myself, Tau Henare and Ngapera Riley discussing Māori Data as a Taonga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57nFcXAycFg 2018 version (original) This paper has been written to fill a void of information about data being a taonga and why there are … Read more
This paper discusses the implications of traditional tikanga Māori practices with Genetic scientific research. Objectives There are four primary objectives for this research: To show a direct relationship between traditional Māori tikanga and cosmology to explain why tikanga is applicable to genomic research. To review the current guidelines for dealing with Māori and genomics. To … Read more
The terms ‘tribal member’ and ‘hapū member’ are colonial terms with a number of detrimental connotations. Many Indigenous Peoples of the world have suffered the same fate with colonial and derogatory terms to describe them. The definition of the word ‘tribal’ includes a division of a barbarous race of people. The definition of the word … Read more
Using scenario and future planning techniques: I will discuss how DNA testing to prove how Māori you are, to identify your ancestry via DNA testing, or the more recent issue of New Zealand school teachers being offered free DNA testing kits by National Geographic Genographic project to help pupils learn about evolution , has a number … Read more
Digitising images of ancestors, taonga and places of cultural value and then sharing the image with whanau and friends on the Internet is common, as it is quick and easy to share with multiple people with just a few clicks of a button. Regularly I see ancestor images at marae being photographed on someones smart … Read more