Richard Hill, Stephen May
Indigenous Māori communities in New Zealand, as with many indigenous communities around the world, have been subjected to research by non-indigenous researchers that has often cast them in a poor light and failed to provide any genuine benefits from the research process. As a response to this problematic research history, an indigenous Kaupapa Māori framework to research has been developed by the Māori community in New Zealand (see Mead 1996; Smith 1997; Bishop 1997). This approach directly incorporates Māori practices, value systems and social relations as a basis for researching appropriately and productively in Māori contexts. It provides clear lines of accountability and control in relation to the subsequent value for, and impact of the research on, Māori communities, particularly if the research involves non-indigenous researchers.
This article explores the methodological implications of Kaupapa Māori research for two non-indigenous researchers who were involved in an ethnographic study of the teaching of English in three Māori-medium schools. The article will discuss the research approach and processes followed in these three Māori-medium contexts, and some of the findings, in light of the methodological parameters of Kaupapa Māori research.