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June 2006 Update on the National Database of Maori Scholars Project

 

Welcome

This update was sent to the Māori Scholars Database Project distribution list on the 23 June 2006.

This is an update on how the Māori Scholars Database Project has been progressing since the working group meeting on 28 April. Please contact the steering group via sector.liaison@minedu.govt.nz if you would like to share your views on anything related to this project.

The purpose of the Māori Scholars Database Project

We have devised the following statement in an attempt to clearly state the project’s purpose. Do you think it is accurate? Could we express it better? Have we missed out anything important?

Connecting Māori scholars to other Māori scholars. Connecting Māori scholars to iwi.

To facilitate the advancement of knowledge through fostering the development of Māori knowledge makers.

The project website

The project website; http://wiki.tertiary.govt.nz/~MaoriScholarsDatabase/Main/HomePage can be accessed using the password pipiriki. The site holds regularly-updated information on the project, and lets you post comments, or read those posted by others. Contacts, links to related sites, project and communication plans, terms of reference, agendas, and minutes can all be viewed here too.

A mission and tikanga document

Our Mission and Values document describes the vision and tikanga values behind the project. Visit the website at http://wiki.tertiary.govt.nz/~MaoriScholarsDatabase/SteeringGroup/ProjectDefinition and click on ‘Mission and Values Version 6’ to read this document.

Working groups

We will form advisory working groups when specific points in the project are reached. Our first priority is to establish relationships with the universities. Les and David are meeting with Te Kahui Amokura on 13 July and will discuss a way forward with them. There will also be meetings later in the year involving iwi and student groups.

Similar databases

As part of the development work we will be seeking opportunities to meet with people who are running similar kinds of databases – including Tūhono, Crown Forest Rental Trust and Te Ohu Kaimoana. We will talk with them about the issues they faced in developing their projects and what has worked. Please let us know if there are other similar databases, particularly involving Maori and iwi connections, which we could learn from.

Thanks

Thanks for your support so far. We will keep you updated with developments, and continue to ask for your comments on specific aspects of the database project. If you would rather not receive emails of this kind, please email us at sector.liaison@minedu.govt.nz and let us know.