Pākehā Working With Māori – Activists and Academics

Abstract

How do we work together across difference? How can Pākehā work better with Māori? These were the questions at the heart of my PhD thesis, which examined how colonisation impacts the interpersonal relationships of Māori and Pākehā activists in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. These questions also became central to the collaborative methodology employed as I grappled with moving from simply talking about power sharing, to meaningfully attempting to relinquish control within my research. This article discusses the collaborative methods I drew on, like anti-oppressive methodology, participatory action research, interactive interviewing and auto ethnography, in order to meet that challenge. This approach resulted in the formation of the ‘Black Rainbow’ collective, a small group of Māori and Pākehā activists (including myself) who undertook a collaborative research journey. This article shares part of that ‘Black Rainbow story’.