Te Kotahi Research Institute

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/16828

This Research Commons Collection contains research from Te Mata Punenga o Te Kotahi | Te Kotahi Research Institute (TKRI) at the University of Waikato. Te Kotahi Research Institute supports initiatives and spaces for thought leadership particularly in the areas of Mātauranga Māori, Indigenous Data Sovereignty, and Indigenous Science and Economics.

For more information on Te Kotahi Research Institute, visit: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/research/institutes-centres-entities/institutes/tkri/

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An exploratory report focused on the current and potential use of digital identity in digital trade
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, 2026-05) Lucas, Danielle
This report is part of the Tauhokohoko research project. The Tauhokohoko research project aims: “to transform trade policy, measurement, and facilitation using Indigenous knowledge, methods, and values for the benefit of Māori and non-Māori people, communities, and enterprises in Aotearoa New Zealand, with application for Indigenous peoples elsewhere.” Mātauranga Māori and Māori data sovereignty are a key part of the project, in particular, as it relates to digital trade. This report contributes to the Tauhokohoko project by looking at the use of digital identity as a conduit for digital trade, to ensure the protection of people and taonga in digital trade. It hopes to help create “a future where Māori as tangata whenua and Te Tiriti partners can equitably participate in and benefit from New Zealand’s trade agreements.” This report builds on a previous report, done as part of the Tikanga in Technology research project, titled ‘Protecting the heartwood: how tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori can inform the construction of digital identities in Aotearoa New Zealand.’
Māori perspectives on development of an eDNA reference library: Summary for MfE Molecular Library of Groundwater Fauna project
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, 2024-05-02) Sterling, Rogena; Hudson, Maui; Liggins, Libby
The use of eDNA as a biodiversity monitoring tool is becoming an increasingly viable option for Councils and communities however its effectiveness is dependent on access to high quality reference libraries. Over the past 12 months a range of discussions and consultations were held on the topic of eDNA and DNA reference libraries as part of the MfE Molecular Library of Groundwater Fauna project and the Te Huinga Ira Taketake o Aotearoa National DNA Reference Library Project1. Across the range of activities Māori views and perspectives on eDNA and DNA Reference Libraries including issues associated with its development and governance into the future. This report focuses on the consultation and online engagement sessions and identifies the key messages coming out of these sessions.
Māori perspectives on digital trade
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, 2025-12) Lucas, Danielle
Māori have engaged in trade for generations, both domestically and internationally (Mika 2014, Spiller et al 2025). As a way to access resources and build or strengthen relationships, trade allowed Māori in the North Island to access pounamu from the South Island and now allows those around the world to experience Whakatōhea mussels, Tai Tokerau mānuka honey and Tohu wines (Tohu Wines 2021, Open Ocean Whakatōhea mussels 2021, Tai Tokerau Honey 2025). With Māori authorities and businesses exporting a combined $1,350 million worth of goods in 20233, Māori international trade is becoming increasingly important to both the national and Māori economies. However, the way we trade, and what we are trading, are rapidly changing. Advances in technology, from improved refrigeration and transportation to the creation of the internet, are expanding flows of trade in goods, services, capital, labour and now data. This new form of trade, in digital assets and on digital channels has “…fundamentally altered the production and consumption of goods and services worldwide over the past two decades (OECD 2023 page 1).” As a growing part of the national economy, Māori are increasingly engaging in digital trade, from utilising online platforms and QR codes for product identification to creating and exporting applications. As Whaanga et al (2015) state, Māori have a long history of “…adopting new technologies, but also of innovating and developing technologies that suit their specific needs and allow for the expression of their culture and identity.” As digital trade grows, it is important that Māori communities can participate in and protect against digital trade. Therefore, this scoping report looks at Māori perspectives on digital trade. Although there is currently limited focus placed in this area4, the rapidly developing nature of digital trade means it is one of increasing importance to Māori communities. This report provides a basis to explore digital trade. Firstly, it discusses definitions for digital trade, taking time to explore the growing divergence between 1) digitally traded goods and services, and 2) trade in digital assets and services. The next section highlights the policy impacts of these diverse forms of digital trade (compared to traditional or non-digital trade) and how these forms of trade may cause unique considerations for Māori communities, providing some of the limited evidence available on this. This analysis highlights the tensions between the desire for Māori organisations to take part in the economic and social benefits of digital trade while ensuring that Māori rights and interests are not lost during the growth of digital trade. In conclusion this report lists further areas where Māori perspectives on either trade or the technology sector are offered, which may help shed light on Māori perspectives of digital trade. Noting that there is a large number of adjacent reports to this area, the report recommends there is more specific and intentional research (such as a survey) on Māori perspectives on trade in digital trade to ensure these perspectives can be incorporated into trade policy.
Indigenous perspectives on digital trade
(Te Kotahi Research Insitute, University of Waikato, 2026) Cordes, Ashley; Sane, Sudhanshu
As Indigenous peoples, histories and practices of trading are held within our bodies, written in laws, archives, and treaties, and ultimately mediate relationships with land, communities, and technologies. The rapid and widespread adoption of networked communication in our Digital Age, and simultaneous financial uncertainty, have contributed to the creation and adaptation of new conditions of exchange. Digitality offers Indigenous peoples unique opportunities to trade across long distances while building economies on sovereign terms. In contrast to other forms of trade, digital trading is by nature highly reliant upon the Internet and its underlying infrastructures. These include transmission media: high-speed fiber optic cables; wireless spectrum; networking equipment: routers, switches, cell towers, satellite ground stations; end devices: laptops, phones, servers; and the core network software: the Internet protocol stack. Digital ledger systems (e.g., blockchain), digital wallets, encryption for secure transactions, security, machine learning/artificial intelligence (AI), and compliance protocols are particularly critical to the future of digital trading.
Indigenous biodiscovery wānanga: Summary report
(Te Kotahi Research Insitute, University of Waikato, 2026-03-31) Caddie, Manu; Caddie-Koia, Miria
The Indigenous Biodiscovery Wānanga held on 30–31 March 2026 at JetPark Hotel, Hamilton, brought together around 60 researchers, Māori representatives, community leaders, government officials, and industry experts to explore the intersection of Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity research, and commercialisation. This two-day event provided a forum for in-depth discussion on key challenges and opportunities in Indigenous-led biodiscovery, with a focus on protecting taonga species, ensuring Māori rights and interests are recognised, and building sustainable pathways for commercialisation that benefit both communities and ecosystems.
He rangahau tauutuutu: Research reciprocity framework
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, 2026-02) Manukau, Merepaea; Hudson, Maui; Kusabs, Natalie; Mahuta, Nanaia
Research reciprocity represents a deep commitment to partnership with Indigenous communities in research collaborations. It emphasises the need for not only benefit sharing but also power sharing across the broader research lifecycle encompassing both upstream and downstream activities. Research reciprocity is inherently relational with a focus on distributing resources, opportunities, decision-making and control in an equitable manner. Research reciprocity combines the ethics and community engagement that inform equity in ‘International research collaborations’, the issue of trust and social responsibility aligned to ‘Responsible Research and Innovation’, the knowledge translation intent associated with ‘Research Impact’, and the concept of Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing enshrined in the Nagoya Protocol; and brings them into dialogue with Indigenous aspirations for research partnerships including self-determination, cultural centredness, Indigenous data sovereignty, community wellbeing, and capacity building.
Defining indigenous trade: A working paper incorporating Māori and indigenous perspectives
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, 2025-12-10) McLellan, Georgia; Mika, Jason; Cribb, Miriama; Jurado, Tanya; Jorgensen, Eva; Niu, Xiaoliang; Hepi, Suzanne; Ross, Betty; Warriner, Virginia
This working paper is part of a New Zealand Government–funded research project titled ‘Tauhokohoko: Enabling mana motuhake through Indigenous trade’ (Tauhokohoko), which was developed by the University of Waikato and Te Rōpū Taumata Charitable Trust (Te Taumata). The paper was prepared by the Tauhokohoko Research Aim 1.3 team and sets out a working definition of ‘Indigenous trade’. The Tauhokohoko Research Aim 1.3 team acknowledges that the term ‘Indigenous’ can be problematic, since it collectivises the experiences of all Indigenous peoples. The project acknowledges the diverse realities of Indigenous peoples and strives to use the term in an inclusive way. Despite the existence of fraught relations between Indigenous peoples and postcolonial trade practices, Indigenous peoples have always had their own trade practices and relations grounded in Indigenous ways of being, knowing and doing. Within contemporary economies, Indigenous peoples are increasingly turning to international trade to meet their economic, social and cultural aspirations. The Tauhokohoko Research Aim 1.3 team believes that Indigenous trade, when practiced in the right way, can be used as a tool for enhancing Indigenous self-determination and collective wellbeing. This paper outlines a tentative definition of ‘Indigenous trade’ for research purposes and provides grounded examples of Indigenous trade that fit within that tentative definition. The Tauhokohoko project is concerned primarily with the involvement of Indigenous peoples in international trade as a financial activity; however, the tentative definition encompasses financial, non financial, tangible and non-tangible forms of exchange. The paper ends by outlining the key literature that informs the working definition of ‘Indigenous trade’, including perspectives on the origins of international trade and Indigenous trade, international business and entrepreneurship, and Indigenous economies.
Transforming data ecosystems in Aotearoa New Zealand: a landscaping report undertaken as part of the Tikanga in Technology project
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2025-02-11) West, Kiri
Protecting the heartwood: How can tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori inform the construction of digital identities and relational responsibilities to data in Aotearoa New Zealand?
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2025-02-11) Lucas, Danielle
A report prepared by Danielle Lucas as part of the Tikanga in Technology research project
Tikanga and ethical considerations for visual research with young Māori
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, 2025-02-11) Renfrew, Larissa; Hudson, Maui; Le Grice, Jade; Wilson, Daniel; Hamley, Logan; Kusabs, Natalie; Clark, Terryann
Approaches to benefit sharing
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2024-06-01) Sterling, Rogena; Brooks, Robert Turongo; Riddle, KatieLee; Kusabs, Natalie; Hudson, Maui
This information sheet provides successful examples of different approaches to benefit sharing across a range of industries, from around the world and within Aotearoa. It highlights what works and where challenges and gaps exist in current approaches. Finally, a spectrum of Indigenous sharing approaches is provided, based on the OECD framework of benefit sharing and type of benefit (direct and collective) to Indigenous peoples.
Evolving benefit sharing regimes – A way forward
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2024-08-16) Sterling, Rogena; Hudson, Maui; Kusabs, Natalie; Riddle, KatieLee; Brooks, Robert Turongo
Identifying models for benefit sharing in different domains – An exploration of benefit sharing across industries
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, 2024-08) Sterling, Rogena; Brooks, Robert; Riddle, KatieLee; Hudson, Maui
Te nohonga kaitiaki guidelines information sheet
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2024-08-12) Sterling, Rogena; Hudson, Maui; Liggins, Libby
DNA information sheet
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2024-07) Sterling, Rogena; Hudson, Maui; Liggins, Libby; van der Reis, Aimee
eDNA and environmental monitoring information sheet
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2024-08-12) Sterling, Rogena; Hudson, Maui; Liggins, Libby; van der Reis, Aimee; Wilkinson, Shaun P.
eDNA, DNA reference libraries and kaitiakitanga
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2024-08-12) Sterling, Rogena; Hudson, Maui; Liggins, Libby
Indigidata Aotearoa post-event summary report 2023
(Te Kotahi Research Institute, 2023) Te Kotahi Research Institute
From the 21st to the 24th of August, the inaugural Indigidata Aotearoa 2023 was held at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato. In recent years there has been significant advances in the fields of Indigenous data science and sovereignty. The Indigidata Aotearoa programme was designed to develop an understanding of Indigenous data science and sovereignty alongside some of the best researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand. The fully funded wānanga was open to Māori (tauira, kaitiaki, kaipakihi) participants from across Aotearoa. Applications were received from more than 35 respondents, and 23 tauira Māori attended the inaugural event.
Local Contexts: Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels for Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki
(University of Waikato, 2022-07-27) Hamilton-Pearce, Janette
How can the Local Contexts Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels ground the rights of Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki in datasets and digital infrastructure? This presentation will help to address this question.
Understanding Māori rights and interests in intellectual property arising from research and innovation
(Te Kotahi Research Institute University of Waikato, 2021-05) Sterling, Rogena; Riddle, KatieLee; Brooks, Robert Tūrongo; Hudson, Maui
In the era of big data, the significance of data as a raw material for production and a source of societal and economic value has grown immensely. Advances in data mining, analytics, computing power, and storage capacity have facilitated broader access and utilization of big data for corporate and governmental purposes. This surge aligns with the knowledge economy, emphasizing knowledge-intensive activities to drive economic growth, a focus underscored in the latest Government Strategy. However, as the knowledge economy expands, concerns arise about equity, Treaty partnerships, and the need to address issues of Māori data sovereignty and Indigenous data sovereignty. Discussions around Māori data sovereignty emphasize the importance of Māori control over various forms of Māori data, such as Mātauranga Māori, taonga species, and administrative data. Organizations like Te Mana Raraunga have been instrumental in developing principles and audit tools to support Māori data sovereignty. Amidst these developments, questions have surfaced about the protection of Māori intellectual property (IP) within Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly outlined in the WAI262 report. This report, funded by Genomics Aotearoa and the National Science Challenge Science for Technological Innovation, aims to address these concerns. The project includes a literature review examining national legislation and international agreements constituting New Zealand's Intellectual Property Rights regime. This review explores how these frameworks safeguard Māori IP rights concerning Māori data, genomic data, and Mātauranga Māori. The second component involves a survey targeting research institutions to assess the presence of IP policies protecting Māori data in research and innovation processes. The report provides a concise summary of the literature review and survey findings, with the overarching goal of assisting institutions in developing policies that safeguard Māori rights over their knowledge and data. The objective is to ensure equitable benefit-sharing throughout the innovation processes and address the evolving landscape of data sovereignty.

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