Transforming data ecosystems in Aotearoa New Zealand: A landscaping report undertaken as part of the Tikanga in Technology [TinT] project

Abstract

Data ecosystems in Aotearoa New Zealand are being reshaped by a growing recognition of Māori rights, values, and aspirations in relation to data. The principles of Māori Data Sovereignty (MDSov) and the Māori Data Governance (MDGov) Model provide a framework for transforming current data practices and structures in ways that uphold mana motuhake, advance tikanga Māori, and promote collective benefit. This report explores the concept of transforming data ecosystems through a kaupapa Māori lens. It begins with an overview of the international Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov) movement, then situates this within the local context of Māori Data Sovereignty in Aotearoa. It considers how Māori scholars and communities have theorised transformation as a dynamic, relational process grounded in tikanga Māori. The report defines a data ecosystem as a living system of interdependent actors, infrastructures, processes, and tools. It uses this framing to examine how Māori-led mechanisms, processes, and tools are contributing to ecosystem transformation. Examples include the Māori Data Privacy Framework, CARE Principles, Māori Algorithmic Sovereignty (MASov) Principles, Ngā Tikanga Paihere (NTP), Ngā Upoko Tukutuku, and the Nukutere Model, as well as key tools such as Te Whata, Te Pā Tūwatawata, and Local Contexts Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Biocultural (BC) Labels. Throughout, the report aligns these examples with the eight pou of the MDGov Model, highlighting how each supports specific dimensions of Māori data governance. It demonstrates that transformation is already underway through the layered, relational, and tikanga-led embedding of Māori values across the ecosystem. However, significant challenges remain. Key gaps include limited structural accountability, voluntary uptake of Māori governance frameworks, uneven capability and capacity, and the need for long-term investment in Māori-led data infrastructure. The report argues that transformation will require sustained commitment to power-sharing, tikanga-based process innovation, and the development of a fully Māori-led data stack. By centring kaupapa Māori approaches, this report offers both a critical analysis of the current state of Aotearoa’s data ecosystem and a forward-looking vision for how it can evolve to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori aspirations for data sovereignty and governance.