Our Mahi
Defining our mahi
Understand what our roles include
DIGITAL CREATOR
The Digital Creator produces, adapts and manages cultural digital content to preserve, protect and share taonga. This role blends creativity and tikanga Māori to ensure archives, stories and knowledge systems are accessible for whānau, hapū and iwi.
Key Responsibilities
· Create visual, audio and written content for whānau records, pūrākau and cultural projects.
· Support digitisation of documents, photographs, maps, visual and audio works.
· Design cultural graphics, templates and layouts with respect.
· Produce educational materials, training videos and promotional resources.
· Collaborate with kaumātua, kaitiaki and content owners for cultural accuracy and integrity.
· Plan and post updates, highlights and success stories to connect users.
Skills
Creative Skills - Video editing, graphic design, photography, storytelling
Technical Skills - Digital asset management, metadata tagging, basic web publishing
Cultural Competency - Understanding of tikanga Māori, te reo Māori, kaupapa Māori
Communication - Clear writing, visual communication and teamwork skills
Example
· Digitised pūrākau turned into illustrated e-books.
· Video lessons for uploading and tagging taonga.
· Photo galleries with metadata for searchable records.
· Infographics explaining taonga protection and data sovereignty.
· Social media clips celebrating completed digitisation projects.
DATA ENTRY
The process of entering information into a computer system or database. This could be text, numbers, codes or other data. Carefully inputting whakapapa records, marae bookings or biodiversity monitoring data, ensuring the correct names, dates and meanings.
Skills: Accuracy, attention to detail, basic computer skills.
Examples:
· Typing membership details into a whānau trust database.
· Recording survey results from a community hui.
· Entering historical land block numbers into a digital register.
TRANSCRIPTION
Listening to audio or watching video and typing out the exact words spoken (and sometimes other sounds). Transcription is vital for preserving oral histories, documenting hui kōrero and creating written versions of taonga audio so they are searchable and accessible for future generations.
Skills: Good listening, fast and accurate typing, understanding of language/terms.
Examples:
· Writing out the words from a recorded kaumātua interview.
· Transcribing speeches from a hui for an official record.
· Converting a recorded waiata into written form.
DIGITISATION
The process of converting physical materials into digital formats so they can be stored, shared and preserved electronically. Digitisation is a key tool for protecting taonga tuku iho, enabling whānau and hapū to keep copies of important documents, whakapapa and cultural treasures in secure, accessible formats without losing the mana of the originals.
Skills: Knowledge of scanning equipment, photography, metadata tagging and digital storage systems.
Examples:
· Scanning old photographs, maps and manuscripts.
· Photographing carvings or artworks for an online archive.
· Converting cassette tapes to MP3 audio files.
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
Creative Activities are culturally grounded research and content development processes that integrate Māori knowledge systems, tikanga and innovative digital practices to design, produce and share meaningful resources, statistics and stories.
These activities combine creative expression with data sovereignty, ensuring that digital and cultural taonga are collected, represented and used in ways that enhance Māori well-being, protect whakapapa and strengthen mana motuhake.
Principles
Mana Motuhake – Whānau and hapū retain authority over their knowledge and creative outputs.
Kaitiakitanga – All creative outputs are developed with care for cultural, environmental and intellectual taonga.
Whakapapa – Creative work maintains the context, meaning and relationships inherent in the knowledge it represents.
Tikanga – Processes, platforms and outputs uphold cultural protocols, consent and respect.
Design and Development of Indicators
· Creating well-being and environmental measures aligned with Toi Oranga frameworks.
· Incorporating both quantitative data and qualitative cultural markers.
Digital Storytelling and Cultural Preservation
· Producing visual, audio and written resources that record, protect and present taonga tuku iho.
· Using digital tools to represent pūrākau, oral histories and whānau records.
Frameworks & Tools
· Designing dashboards, scorecards, maps and other decision-support tools that reflect Māori priorities.
· Creating visual learning aids that integrate maramataka, kaitiakitanga principles and data insights.
Innovative Research Methods
· Applying kaupapa Māori and co-design methods to data gathering and explanation.
· Incorporating creative disciplines (art, design, photography, performance) into research outputs.
Community Engagement and Capacity Building
· Facilitating wānanga and training to support whānau, hapū and iwi generate and manage their own creative and research outputs.
· Encouraging intergenerational participation and knowledge transfer.
TOI ORANGA CONSULTANT
A specialist who applies the Toi Oranga framework to measure, interpret and enhance Māori well-being, prosperity and environmental health.
They provide strategic advice, design culturally aligned indicators and facilitate creative activities that integrate quantitative data, qualitative insights and tikanga Māori.
Their role ensures that decision-making, planning and evaluation are grounded in tikanga Māori, uphold mana motuhake and reflect intergenerational priorities for whānau, whenua and taiao.
Principles
Mana Motuhake Communities retain control over their data, interpretation and use.
Kaitiakitanga Outcomes must protect the environment, culture and future generations.
Whakapapa All information and measures connect to the relationships and contexts that give them meaning.
Tikanga Research and reporting uphold cultural protocols and consent processes.
Core Functions
Indicator Design
· Create and adapt well-being and sustainability indicators that reflect whānau, hapū and iwi aspirations.
· Ensure measures cover cultural, social, environmental and economic domains.
Data Collection
· Use kaupapa Māori methods, like wānanga, pūrākau and active mapping, to gather insights.
· Integrate mātauranga Māori with appropriate scientific and statistical tools.
Analysis
· Analyse data within a Māori worldview, ensuring cultural context is maintained.
· Translate complex findings into accessible reports, dashboards and decision tools.
Capacity Building
· Train whānau, hapū, iwi and organisations to apply the Toi Oranga framework themselves.
· Provide mentoring to grow local expertise in data sovereignty and Māori-led evaluation.
Strategic Advice
· Support governance boards, marae committees and policy makers to use Toi Oranga results in planning, funding bids and advocacy.
· Recommend actions that align with tikanga, protect taonga and achieve measurable outcomes.
TAIAO PROJECTS
Kaupapa Māori-led environmental initiatives that integrate cultural values, mātauranga Māori and scientific methods to assess the potential impacts of proposed activities on the taiao, cultural heritage and community well-being.
Identify, analyse and articulate how developments, policies or land-use changes may affect wāhi tapu, taonga species, natural resources and the cultural relationships of tangata whenua to the land, waters and ecosystems.
Principles
Kaitiakitanga Act to protect and enhance the environment for present and future generations.
Mana Whenua Recognise and uphold the authority of local hapū and iwi in decision-making about their whenua and wai.
Mātauranga Māori Ensure traditional knowledge and worldviews are respected and applied.
Whakapapa Acknowledge the connection of people, land, waters and all living things.
Tikanga Following tikanga throughout the assessment process.
Core Functions
Whakapapa and Taiao Mapping
· Identify cultural landscapes, wāhi tapu, mahinga kai and other sites of significance.
· Record historical and contemporary connections between tangata whenua and the environment.
Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) Preparation
· Assess potential effects of projects or activities on Māori values, practices and rights.
· Provide clear recommendations for mitigation, avoidance or enhancement.
Integration of Mātauranga Māori and Science
· Combine traditional knowledge with environmental science, GIS mapping and biodiversity surveys.
· Ensure both cultural and environmental indicators are considered in the Enviro Impact Reporting process.
Consultation and Engagement
· Facilitate hui and wānanga with mana whenua, kaumātua and kaitiaki to capture local perspectives.
· Ensure that community voices are represented authentically in the assessment.
Advocacy and Policy Alignment
· Ensure that recommendations align with iwi/hapū management plans, Treaty settlements, RMA obligations and international Indigenous rights frameworks.
· Provide evidence-based advocacy for cultural and environmental protection.
