Rauemi

Āhurutanga — a mātauranga Māori response to racism

A case study on addressing racism in an Aotearoa public health setting, highlighting the limits of the health and regulatory system in preventing and responding to racism. December 2024.

Āhuru tikanga mō te iwi

Caution for Māori and Indigenous readers

E te whānau Māori me ngā iwi taketake, kia mataara

This case study describes racism, prejudice and discrimination. Please proceed with caution. The intent of sharing this experience is to outline the reconciliation and response. However, the kōrero may trigger memories of culturally unsafe experiences, feelings or thoughts of past trauma and mamae (hurt, distress).

We share these words with aroha and the greatest levels of respect, in the hopes that this type of incident never happens again. We also provide this case study as an entirely contextual experience, in that our name Hei Āhuru Mōwai guided our response and will continue to guide our dissemination of this kōrero. We do not posit ourselves as tohunga (experts) of reconciliatory approaches, nor our experience as a blueprint, but humbly, as a koha to Māori, other Indigenous peoples and the anti-racism puna mātauranga (repository of knowledge).

Āhuru tikanga mō te tauiwi

Caution for non-Māori and non-Indigenous readers

E te whānau tauiwi,

There are many benefits for publishing about mātauranga Māori, there are also many risks. These risks include the commodification and weaponisation of mātauranga and the wehenga (separation) of tikanga and reo for the benefit of the colonial programme.

Because of this, and as part of our manaakitanga of all peoples and mātauranga Māori, please note that it is not appropriate for non-Māori and non-Indigenous to replicate this model or any part of it, without guidance from Māori. If you see benefit from our approach and learnings and would like to implement some of them in your workplace or industry, please contact the kaitiaki/co-authors or seek guidance from Māori kuia and kaumatua or leaders. This tikanga will ensure the safe and appropriate use of mātauranga Māori, and rightfully affirms Māori as kaitiaki of mātauranga Māori.

Pae Haumanu

DownloadPDF · December 2024

What this document covers

A case study of a racist incident and its aftermath. At a 2020 medical conference, a debate on whether digital rectal examination is a barrier to Māori men being diagnosed with prostate cancer was staged with no Māori on the panel, immediately before a Māori-led prostate cancer research team presented. One debater made racist remarks; much of the room laughed.

Hei Āhuru Mōwai sets out the reconciliation it led – āhuru, take, ea – the twelve-month programme the doctor completed, and the system's limits: no body in Aotearoa could lead an appropriate response; legislation constrained the conduct investigation. Ea was reached with the doctor, not with his organisation or the regulators. Cautions for Māori and non-Māori readers open the report.

A summary written for this website, not an extract from the document. Download it for the full text in the organisation’s own words.

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