Fifteen years after the landmark Wai 262 Ko Aotearoa Tēnei report, a new publication is renewing the conversation about protecting Māori knowledge, cultural expressions and genetic resources for future generations.
The book, Ko Aotearoa Ināianei: New Perspectives on Protecting Māori Knowledge and Cultural Expressions, brings together fresh perspectives on the enduring significance of Wai 262 and the challenges of safeguarding mātauranga Māori in a rapidly changing world.
Published against the backdrop of ongoing debates about Indigenous intellectual property, cultural heritage and the commercial use of traditional knowledge, the collection examines how Māori rights and interests can be better recognised and protected.
The original Wai 262 report, released by the Waitangi Tribunal in 2011, examined the relationship between Māori and the Crown concerning Indigenous flora and fauna, mātauranga Māori, cultural expressions and the protection of taonga.
Its findings raised fundamental questions about who has authority over Māori knowledge, how that knowledge should be used, and what responsibilities the Crown has under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Fifteen years later, those questions remain highly relevant, particularly as advances in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, digital media and commercial research create new opportunities and risks for the use of Indigenous knowledge.
Dr David V. Williams FRSNZ, Professor Emeritus at Waipapa Taumata Rau – University of Auckland and co-editor of the new collection, joins Radio Waatea to discuss the publication and the continuing importance of Wai 262.
The discussion explores how Māori communities can retain authority over their cultural heritage, what effective protection of mātauranga Māori might look like, and how legal and policy frameworks could better recognise the responsibilities of iwi and hapū as kaitiaki.
The book also provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made since 2011 and the work still required to ensure Māori knowledge and cultural expressions are not used or commercialised without appropriate recognition, participation and safeguards.
At the heart of the kaupapa is the relationship between whakapapa, tikanga, mātauranga and tino rangatiratanga, alongside the responsibility to ensure that cultural knowledge remains connected to the people and communities from which it originates.
For Māori researchers, artists, scientists, businesses and whānau, the issues raised by Wai 262 extend well beyond intellectual property law. They touch on identity, cultural continuity, economic opportunity and the protection of taonga for mokopuna yet to come.
As Aotearoa marks fifteen years since Ko Aotearoa Tēnei, the new collection asks how the principles of Wai 262 can be translated into meaningful protections for Māori knowledge, culture and heritage.
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