This report describes the He Awa Whiria – Braided Rivers model of using Western science and mātauranga Māori knowledge side-by-side for research and evaluation in the social sector.
Western science and methods are often given prominence over all other systems of knowledge. While Māori do well in society, there continues to be an over-representation of Māori in negative statistics. If the social sector is to achieve a research-based understanding of the underlying causes of this situation, we need to acknowledge a te ao Māori worldview.
The He Awa Whiria – Braided Rivers model aims to address this need by drawing on Western science and mātauranga Māori knowledge to learn about, and improve, family and whānau wellbeing. The model provides different information about what is valued and to what degree it is valued.
The report explores the concept in detail and proposes processes and guidelines for its use in the social sector.