Maui Hudson & Lynley Uerata
University of Waikato, New Zealand
Title: Indigenous Ethics and Biobanking: The Aotearoa New Zealand Experience
Biography
Biography: Maui Hudson & Lynley Uerata
Abstract
The recognition of indigenous Maori rights in New Zealand has led to greater consultation and involvement of those communities in the ethical review processes for health research. Maori have been contributing to the debates around research ethics and genetics for a number of years. Recent publications, Guidelines for Researchers on Health Research involving Maori (2010) and Te Ara Tika Guidelines on Maori Research Ethics (2010), provide a framework for understanding indigenous Maori views on health research and ethics. These documents note the heightened sensitivities that exist for Maori around the use of human tissue and genetic information in research but do not provide practical advice for genetic researchers or biobanks. Indigenous and Maori views on biobanking and genomic research have been explored through a Health Research Council (New Zealand) funded project ‘Te Mata Ira’. The project involved a mix of interviews and workshops with Indigenous informants, Maori participants, and bio-medical researchers. This paper will present the results of the project and the cultural foundation which frames Maori guidelines for biobanking and genomic research.
