March 05, 2018
Census light on Maori data
Census light on Maori data
It’s census day, but a Massey University academic thinks this year’s questions fall short of what Maori need to know.
John-James Carberry from the School of Maori Knowledge Te Putahi a Toi, says historically the census measured things that were of interest to the European colonists.
Data that Maori need, and especially what iwi and hapu need to plan for the development of their people, was only accessible if it was aligned with the interests of the cultural majority.
He says hapu are unable to access Census data specific to their respective populations, which limits their ability to strategise long term.
He wants to see the development of further data collection tools that take into account Maori cultural values, philosophies and world views.
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