Te Kāhui Raraunga has officially launched Te Pā Tūwatawata, a ground-breaking, Māori-owned digital data network designed to secure data sovereignty for whānau, hapū, and iwi.
In an era dominated by rapid digital transformation and artificial intelligence, this initiative aims to keep indigenous data within the control of its people, treating information as a protected asset rather than just a commodity.
Kirikowhai Mikaere, the Pouārahi of Te Kāhui Raraunga, highlights that the initiative is driven by a clear mission to protect iwi interests from the ground up. “First and foremost obviously we have a particular bias and we’re unapologetically privileging our iwi data, our Maaori data, and doing that from the ground up,” she says.
As the landscape of technology shifts, Kirikowhai emphasizes that the location and control of data are now central to national sovereignty. “Because in this ever changing artificial intelligence, digital transformation, who holds the data, and where it is held is paramount. It’s paramount to holding the sovereignty of your nation whether that be for Maaori or Aotearoa,” she notes.
Ultimately, Te Pā Tūwatawata is viewed not merely as a storage facility, but as a legacy project for the country. “Whilst we know this is going to be fundamentally important to future-proof our iwi infrastructure and the continuity of our consciousness, it’s ultimately a taonga that we are giving to Aotearoa,” Kirikowhai explains.
Te Pā Tūwatawata: He taonga tautiaki I te mana motuhake
Kua whakarewahia e Te Kāhui Raraunga a Te Pā Tūwatawata, he pūnaha penapena raraunga e aro nui ana ki te mana motuhake o te iwi Māori. Nā te kitea o te hiranga o te raraunga hei taonga, kua hangaia tēnei pātaka hei tiaki i ngā mātauranga me ngā rawa matahiko o ngā marae, ngā hapū, me ngā iwi.
Hei tā Erena Mikaere, te pūkenga raraunga matua o Te Kāhui Raraunga, ko te kaupapa matua he whakahoki i te mana o te raraunga ki ngā ringa o te tangata whenua.
“Ko tēnei kaupapa o Te Pā Tūwatawata e whakahoki ai o te whānau ki runga i tā rātou ake raraunga. Nā, i runga i te whakaaro kei ia marae, kei ia hapū, kei ia iwi tā rātou kia takina i tā rātou ake kawa, i tā rātou ake tikanga,” e ai ki a Erena.
“He pūnaha penapena tēnei mō te raraunga. Nā, i runga i te whakaaro he taonga te raraunga. Nā reira, he pataka tēnei hei tiaki i aua taonga.”
Ko te kotahitanga te pou o tēnei mahi, e ai ki a Erena, hei huarahi ki te mana motuhake. “Anō nei i runga i tēra whakaaro o te kotahitanga, kua whakakotahi i ngā rauemi matahiko. Kua whakakotahi i ngā pūtea hei painga mō te katoa. Nā, e ai ki weetehi ko te kotahitanga te huarahi ki te mana motuhake. Nā reira, tēnei ko te Pā Tūwatawata hei tauira.”