Bioethics in Research: the Ethics of Indigeneity

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Bioethics in Researchthe Ethics of Indigeneity
Ninth Global Forum on Bioethics in Research
(GFBR9)

• Mason Durie
• Massey University

Perspectives
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Ethical PerspectivesConvergence and divergence

• Universality
• Diversity
• Distinctiveness

Universality
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Universality

• Many ethical values are held in common by people
  across nations, cultures, and ethnicities

Avoid unneccesary pain suffering
Protect the young
Value people
Abide by community customs, ideals, conventions
Respect property
Diversity
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Diversity

• Not all people within the same group hold the
  same values, ideals, or perspectives

A suburban orientation
Whanau values
A Christian focus
BEING MAORI 2008
A tribal world view
The culture of youth
A global perspective
Political ideologies
Pragmatism
Distinctiveness
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Distinctiveness
Ethical expectations and norms of groups are
built on their distinctive views, shared
histories, values, and aspirations,
Maori perspectives
Tribal conventions
Community standards
The Kiwi tradition
Religious persuasions
Indigenous custom
The New Zealand way
Indigenous
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Indigenous Peoples

• 5000 indigenous and tribal groups
• 200 million people
• 4 of the global population

Distinctiveness
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Indigenous distinctiveness ?

• Colonised tribes
• A vulnerable population
• An ethnic minority
• Marginalised communities
• A Culturally different people

Distinctive 2
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Indigenous distinctiveness

• A close and enduring relationship with the
  environment
• Autonomous social groupings that reflect
  territory
• Knowledge systems based on environmental
  encounters
• A sustainable economy
• Unique culture language

• Colonised tribes
• A vulnerable population
• An ethnic minority
• Marginalised communities
• A culturally different people

3 Characteristics
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Three Characteristics of Indigeneity

• Ecological ties Mana whenua
• Human encounters Mana tangata
• Autonomy self determination Mana
  whakahaere

Maori
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Maori

• Indigenous people of New Zealand
• Tribal society (now largely urban)
• Population 565,000 (15 of total population)
• Median age 22 years
• Increasing cultural fluency in younger age groups

Rangi Papa
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An ecological dimensionRangi Papa

• The earth mother and the sky father were forced
  apart by their children
• Forests birds
• The elements
• The seas, waters, fish
• Crops
• Ferns
• Humankind
• Separation enabled
• life and light
• But connections were retained

Spiral
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Ahiowhio WhariteA Spiral of Ecological Synergy
Outward flow of energy
Building relationships
People, land, flora, fauna, water, air, cosmos
Smaller entities make sense when viewed in
relationship to larger entities
Relationships and context give rise to
knowledge
Centrifugal direction
Identity
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A Grounded Human Identity

• People are part of a wider ecological context
• Tangata whenua
• People of the land
• Turangawaewae
• A land-based reference point

Mauri
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Organic and Inorganic relationships

• All matter has life - a mauri
• Connections with the wider
• environment create a
• dynamic relationship
• Inner outer energy chains
• Carbon credits

Relationships
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Relationships foundations for understanding
indigenous world views

• Relationships between
• People and the natural environment
• Tangible and intangible dimensions
• Organic and inorganic material
• Past and future (intergenerational continuity)
• The microscopic and the macroscopic
• Tangata whenua (Hosts) and manuhiri (visitors)

Marae
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Human Encounters
Whare nui (Meeting House)
Tangata whenua (People of the land)
Marae Atea A Forum for
negotiating relationships
Manuhiri (People with other land connections)
Marae Kawa
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Te Kawa o te MaraeDefining Safe Relationships

• Social
• conventions
• Terms of
• engagement
• Level of
• risk
• Reciprocity

• Tangata
• whenua
• Whaikorero
• Tapu
• Koha

Autonomy
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Autonomy Self determination- a response to
vulnerability
The Treaty of Waitangi 1840
The State
Potatau te Wherowhero 1858
The Maori King
Tuheitia 2006
Implications
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Implications for Research Bioethics

• Ecological Ties
• The ethics of eco-connectedness
• Human Encounters
• The ethics of engagement
• Autonomy and self determination
• The ethics of empowerment

Eco-connect
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Ecological world views and bioethicsThe ethics
of eco-connectedness

• Synergies between people
• and the natural environment
• Balance between human endeavours and
  environmental sustainability
• Longstanding connections between species
• All environmental forms have a unique mauri

Balance
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How does the research reach a balanced viewpoint
between

• Human environmental equilibrium
• Climate change, carbon emissions
• Human adaptation to the environment
• Type II diabetes (living in consumer
  environments)
• Species specificity
• xenotransplantation
• Species survival
• Assisted reproductive technologies, organ
  donations
• Stem cell research

Engagement
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Mediation of human encountersThe Ethics of
Engagement

• Relationship building assessing risk motive
• Time
• Space
• Agreement on terms
• Mutual benefits
• Mutual respect and mutually re-enforcement

Implications
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Research Implications

• Reason for engagement with Maori
• Who to engage with ?
• Where should engagement occur ?
• Trusting relationship or one off ?
• A sample of Maori views or a sample of views on
  Indigeneity ?
• Ownership management of information data

Empowerment
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Autonomy and Self determinationThe ethics of
empowerment
Informed Consent Active participation Guardianship
Knowledgeable space to decide time to reflect Involvement in research design advice on research protocol, methods Researcher as well as subject of research research integrity Indigenous environmental interests research data dissemination of results
Promoting ethics
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Promoting the ethics of indigeneity

• Shifting researcher attitudes
• Indigenising ethical standards and protocols

Researcher attitudes
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Shifting researcher attitudes

• Ethical compliance Extension of vision
• Research method Research impacts
• Centripetal focus Centrifugal focus
• Recruitment Active participation
• Scientific merit Indigenous gain
• Consultation Relationship

Indigenisation
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Indigenising ethical standards and protocols

• Guidelines for researchers (HRC)
• Bioethics Council Report
• Maori framework for ethical review
• (NEAC Nga Pae o te Maramatanga)
• WAI 292 Matauranga Maori
• Claim to the Waitangi Tribunal
• Protection of native flora, fauna, Maori
  knowledge
• A Maori Ethical Commission ?
• Wider research interests Health environment -
  education - energy)

Indigeneity
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The Ethics of Indigeneity

• The ethics of
• empowerment

The ethics of eco-connectedness
The ethics of engagement
Autonomy self determination
Human encounters
Ecological ties
End