Towards the development of guidelines for handling, use and storage of Māori genetic material in research

About this research

Efforts have been made to develop protocols for the use and handling of blood samples, but at the time of this study starting, the formation of guidelines that take into account the needs and views of Māori had not been completed. Guided by Kaupapa Māori research methodologies, this study acknowledged He Korowai Oranga (The Ministry of Health’s Māori Health Strategy) and critiqued non-Māori views of genetic information and kaitiakitanga of this information. There was also an opportunity to interview Māori from the Wellington community who had been approached to take part in a series of sleep studies, involving providing a biological sample, (i.e. a saliva sample) for research. It was envisaged that running these studies in parallel would enable the research team to talk to these participants about their decision-making processes and the values they consider when thinking about, and taking part, in research. This study also presented an opportunity to bring together Māori researchers from different institutions, research backgrounds and interests and provided a collaborative way of investigating the effects of genetic research on Māori.



The project aimed to bring te ao Māori to a scientific doctrine, reflecting on issues of bioethics, biotechnology, indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights.



Outputs

•    Guidelines: Published in the PhD thesis of Sarah-Jane Paine (successful examination held in May 2007)



Conference presentations

•    An abstract was accepted for oral presentation at WIPCE 2005.

•    Invited presentation: Genetic Research and Health Inequalities. Invited presentation, Ethnicity Data Forum, University of Otago, Wellington, September 2008.