He Poutama Maori: transferring indigenous philosophy to a sustainability programme

At the heart of New Zealand’s colonisation was the assumption that the English colonisers’ ‘worldview’ was superior to, and should supersede, that of the Māori. As the number of settlers increased, it seemed the ‘worldview’ of the majority would prevail and Māori would assimilate. Despite the threat presented by assimilation however, in recent years the Māori culture and language has regained its significance and there is a growing acknowledgement of the validity of a Māori worldview – Te Ao Māori – as an asset to New Zealand. Some Māori and Pākehā scholars are in fact promoting the idea that Te Ao Māori offers a different model for doing business, a model that has the potential to lead society to a more sustainable future. Presently there is a cultural chasm between the traditional values that inform Māori institutions and how corporate organisations operate. Wakatū Incorporation (Wakatū), a Māori business operating in Te Tau Ihu, the top of the South Island of New Zealand, sits astride this cultural chasm. Wakatū has traditional Māori responsibilities its owners expect it to abide by, but at the same time it operates within a Pākehā economic and regulatory system that is often at odds with its traditional values. Wakatū needs a mechanism to bridge this chasm and is drawn to the Natural Step’s (TNS) Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), a holistic approach to understanding the root causes of unsustainability and enabling communities and businesses to move strategically towards their desired future. Initially the FSSD did appear to meet their need, possessing some similarities with Te Ao Māori. But on closer inspection it became apparent that it did not suit the Māori philosophy. To fulfil its potential role therefore, it needed to be adapted. This dissertation sought to evaluate if the FSSD could be made relevant to Māori and if so how? This was considered during a series of hui, which identified that although the content of the framework generally fitted with the Māori worldview, the way it was communicated did not. The hui also revealed that Māori already had existing ways of approaching and managing the same issues. So for the FSSD to resonate the programme needed to use Māori stories, proverbs, and traditions. This input lead to an alternative prototype, ‘He Poutama Māori’ being developed. He Poutama Māori appears to have the potential to bridge the cultural chasm between traditional values and contemporary realities — because while the words used are different — by communicating sustainability and kaitiakitanga through He Poutama Māori, Māori and Pākehā can start to speak the same language. There is much for Western society to learn from indigenous cultures, but as He Poutama Māori has shown accepting these ideas requires a tolerance and acceptance that there is more than one way to solve the world’s problems. Acknowledge