Indigenous Development Research: Why 'high Māori involvement?'

The purpose of Indigenous Development Research is to enable transformation and positive change in Māori communities. The reason that there needs to be 'high Māori involvement' in this research is so that Māori communities themselves may identify issues for research and craft research questions. It is so that approaches to knowledge creation drawn from those communities (approaches suggested by traditional knowledge and the identity, history, experiences and circumstances of those communities) may be uplifted, and it is so that answers to research questions may be fashioned within the context of the particular community for whom the research is ultimately conducted. Finally, the reason for high involvement of Māori (i.e. the community) in the research is so that the outcomes and benefits of research may move quickly into the hands who enable change in our communities. We wish to empower change agents with high quality and reputable knowledge that enables the very best decisions to be made leading to positive change in our communities. There are a host of other benefits too when quality relationships are achieved between research and our communities. These include the opportunity to increase the number of Māori individuals undertaking research training through involvement in these kinds of research projects and it includes increasing the knowledge and understanding held generally in a community about the nature, methods and value of research. A key outcome of Indigenous Development Research is the fostering of a culture of critique, information gathering, analysis, questioning and ultimately creativity within Māori communities. This increases confidence, empowerment and a sense of being in control of one's destiny. What about non-Māori, non-community members and their involvement in Indigenous Development Research? Indigenous Development Research calls for 'high Māori involvement'. It does not call for 'Māori only' for there is great value in making use of the skills, knowledge and goodwill of people drawn from outside of those communities particularly where a important and relevant knowledge, skills and expertise is not present in the community for whom the research is conducted (but is required for the success of proposed research). Ultimately, Indigenous Development research seeks to foster the sense that Māori communities are in control of research which is conducted for their benefit and concerning their needs and opportunities.