About this research
Project Summary
This groundbreaking research project highlights the vital role of whānau in creating resilient, flourishing Indigenous futures. This work explored how Māori families can achieve sustainable livelihoods while fostering a wellbeing-focused economy rooted in te ao Māori (the Māori worldview). Focusing on the present circumstances and future possibilities, the research underscores the importance of grassroots, whānau-centred approaches. By supporting whānau to lead initiatives, develop networks, and embrace traditional operating principles like kaupapa and tikanga, the study offers a blueprint for Indigenous-led economic transformation.
Key insights from the project include the need to:
- Strengthen whānau connections: Supporting whānau to build self-sufficiency, nurture intergenerational relationships, and enhance resilience.
- Develop shared visions: Creating collective and participatory roadmaps for Māori economies of wellbeing that reflect traditional values while being pragmatic and inclusive.
- Promote leadership and innovation: Empowering whānau through education, enterprise, and adaptive strategies that encourage experimentation and scalability.
- Mana Touchstones: Integrate the mana touchstones framework into existing economic policy models to prioritise wellbeing-centric economies.
- Address specific needs: Implementing targeted programs for wāhine (Māori women) and rangatahi (youth) to address financial insecurity, job prospects, and cultural fluency.
The project also examined alternative economic frameworks, such as wellbeing economies and community wealth building, identifying synergies with Māori values. These insights form the foundation for creating locally driven, interconnected networks of Māori economies, led by whānau and supported by organisations that share their vision.
The conclusion of this work emphasises hope and opportunity. Whānau-centred approaches hold the key to vibrant, sustainable economies that align with Māori cultural principles. While the path requires perseverance and collaboration, the strength and resilience of whānau will drive the transformation towards a better future. He tina ki runga, he tāmore ki raro – Contentment above, firmly rooted below – captures the essence of this research, affirming the power of cultural grounding and strong family foundations as the pathway to lasting wellbeing. This research represents an essential step forward in championing Māori-led initiatives for economic, cultural, and social prosperity.
The flippable book and dictionary are available to read online or download on www.maorieconomy.co.nz
Lead Researcher
Professor Chellie Spiller (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa) University of Waikato
Research Team
Professor Jarrod Haar (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngaati Mahuta) AUT University
Dr John Reid (Ngāti Pikiao, Tainui) University of Canterbury
Dr Jason Mika (Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Kahungunu) University of Waikato
Dr Matthew Rout, University of Canterbury
He oranga whānau: mahi ngātahi: Whānau livelihoods within the context of work and Māori economies of wellbeing. These groundbreaking works celebrate Māori futures rooted in kaupapa Māori values while fostering pathways for responsible relationships, meaningful lives, and flourishing Indigenous wellbeing economies. By emphasising the central role of whānau, these publications provide actionable insights and inspiration for transformative change in economic and cultural systems.
Kairangahau · Researchers
Professor Chellie Spiller
University of Waikato
Dr Chellie Spiller, of Matawhaiti Iwitea, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, is Professor of Management and Leadership, and…
Professor Chellie Spiller
Professor Jarrod Haar
Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Mahuta
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Professor Jarrod Haar (PhD) is a Professor of Human Resource Management in the Department of Management and has tribal…
Professor Jarrod Haar
Dr John Reid
University of Canterbury
John is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury’s Ngai Tahu Research Centre. He is a specialist in…
Dr John Reid
Associate Professor Jason Paul Mika
Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Kahungunu
University of Waikato
Jason is Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Kahungunu. He is an associate professor at Te Raupapa Waikato Management…
Associate Professor Jason Paul Mika
Dr Matthew Rout
University of Canterbury
Matt works on indigenous socio-economic development and environmental sustainability initiatives and projects with a…
Dr Matthew Rout
Ētahi atu · Other projects
Māori are facing many challenges in their work experiences, especially during Covid-19. This research seeks to understand the unique cultural strategies that employees engage in that make these challenges more bearable.
View projectLived experiences of Māori employees during Covid-19
Māori are facing many challenges in their work experiences, especially during Covid-19. This research seeks to understand the unique cultural strategies that employees engage in that make these challenges more bearable.
Kairangahau · Researchers
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Professor Jarrod Haar
Professor Jarrod Haar
Professor Jarrod Haar (PhD) is a Professor of Human Resource Management in the Department of Management and has tribal affiliations of Ngati Maniapoto and Ngati Mahuta. In 2018, Professor Haar was appointed as a Member of the Marsden Fund Council and is the Convenor of the Marsden Economics and Human Behavioural Sciences panel. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi (2020), a Research Fellow of the Australia & New Zealand Academy of Management (since 2012), and Chartered Fellow of the Human Resource Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ). He won the inaugural HRINZ HR…
What unique Human Resource Management (HRM) practices are offered in Aotearoa workplaces that directly engage in a positive way with Māori employees? What do these look like? How are the perceived (and received) by Maori and non-Māori employees? Do they positively shape attitudes as we might expect - and if not, why not? What are the barriers and drivers…
View projectA Kaupapa Māori Approach to Human Resource Management Practices in Aotearoa Workplaces
Kairangahau · Researchers
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Professor Jarrod Haar
Professor Jarrod Haar
Professor Jarrod Haar (PhD) is a Professor of Human Resource Management in the Department of Management and has tribal affiliations of Ngati Maniapoto and Ngati Mahuta. In 2018, Professor Haar was appointed as a Member of the Marsden Fund Council and is the Convenor of the Marsden Economics and Human Behavioural Sciences panel. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi (2020), a Research Fellow of the Australia & New Zealand Academy of Management (since 2012), and Chartered Fellow of the Human Resource Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ). He won the inaugural HRINZ HR…
What do alternative models to tribal corporations look like for iwi and hapū development? A wealth of historical narratives provide alternative examples of successful tribal economic development and management practices that have existed in the past. However, the last two decades have seen the emergence of a commercially successful corporate-beneficiary…
View projectIdentifying Frameworks for Effective Iwi and Hapū Development
Kairangahau · Researchers
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Professor Merata Kawharu
Professor Merata Kawharu
Merata Kawharu is a graduate of The University of Auckland (BA in Social Anthropology and Māori Studies and Post-Graduate Diploma in Business (Administration)) and of Oxford University (DPhil in Social Anthropology). She is currently working on the project Identifying Frameworks for Effective Iwi and Hapū Development and was previously the Principal Investigator on the NPM project Waka Wairua. As a Rhodes Scholar she undertook research on kaitiakitanga. Since completing her doctorate in 1998, she has undertaken research projects for various Treaty claimant groups and the private sector and… -
Dr John Reid
Dr John Reid
John is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury’s Ngai Tahu Research Centre. He is a specialist in leading and developing multi-disciplinary research and development programmes focused on addressing interrelated social, economic, and environmental problems. His research explores the way in which Indigenous and Western cultures shape identity, sense of place, and approaches to social and economic development. John's current research interests are focused on sustainable development within indigenous tribal communities and in fostering novel approaches to development through…