IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2023 - 50

Commentary
Figure 2. Researchers Noel Park (left) and
Stuart Duncan (right), each at different
locations, interacting with a recording
of kaumatua (elder) Bubba Thompson
(center) in the A¯tea Presence system.
within our system; and the wider kaupapa (purpose)
of the A¯ tea project. Ensuring active protection
of our indigenous partners' culture and values
at the outset of the project was not just important,
it was an absolute necessity.
Protection principle
In New Zealand, Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty
of Waitangi) is one of the foundations of the relationship
between the indigenous Ma¯ori people and the
(initially) European settlers. While there is ongoing
analysis, and different principles emerge in different
contexts, one of the common themes that emerge
is the concept of protection. This protection extends
to tino rangatiratanga (self-determination or sovereignty),
tikanga (values, protocols, and ways of
being), and taonga (tangible and intangible treasures
or items of cultural significance). As a result,
the principle of protection is of key importance in all
interactions with Ma¯ori.
In education, there is often a reference to the
" Three Ps " of Te Tiriti-partnership, participation,
and protection [2], these principles having been
established by the Royal Commission on Social Policy
in 1988. Similar principles have been used in the
context of health [4]. Partnership and " active protection "
are also key principles when applying Te Tiriti
to the redress of historic claims by iwi against the
Crown [12]. Te Tiriti continues to be interpreted in
50
response to new technologies [11], and while the
expression of the principles changes and adapts,
partnership and protection remain constant. Furthermore,
there is often a reference to active protection,
meaning that partners (originally The Crown) must
take positive action to defend Ma¯ori interests, rather
than merely avoiding negative actions.
For information technology projects, " protection "
might be easily viewed as a security issue. While data
protection and security are a part of the picture, a
much broader perspective is required. This broader
view must consider both what is to be protected, and
how active steps can be taken to achieve that. Projects
that are codesigned and developed with and
for Ma¯ori communities capture and reflect a wealth
of ma¯tauranga (knowledge), tikanga, and taonga.
Protecting these (often intangible) values requires
careful thought and ongoing consideration.
Protection in A¯ tea
At the outset of the A¯ tea project, our research team
set in place a simple, yet effective rule to embody
the principle of protection: The values and desires
of the runa¯nga would always take precedence over
the aims and opinions of the academic researchers.
A concrete example of this in action is the capture
and virtual reconstruction of the wharenui
in the A¯ tea Presence system. At the start of the
project, the ru¯nanga had concerns about taking
photographs of the wharenui (meeting house) as
it is a taonga and a tapu¯ (special or sacred) place.
The ru¯nanga had, before us starting the research
project, established protocols and restrictions
on capturing video and taking photographs of
the ancestors within the wharenui. This position
was accepted by us as Pa¯keha¯ researchers, and
we proceeded to develop and discuss a number
of scenarios with the leadership of the ru¯nanga
which included undertaking initial captures of
stories in the wharekai (dining room) to develop
the system. Over time, as we built our relationship
with the ru¯nanga, their position changed. In the
end, we were able to reconstruct the wharenui,
but only once our Ma¯ori partners had decided
that it was appropriate for them and that they fully
understood how the system was going to be used.
Over the course of the project, the principle of
protection arose in many situations. Many of these
related to tikanga (customs and protocols), and so
as Pa¯keha¯ working in te ao Ma¯ori (the Ma¯ori world),
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IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2023

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