Nanotechnology, Maori and the Platform of New Technologies – A Critical Response

Dr Jessica Hutchings

Te Mata O Te Tau – June 2005

Overview of Korero

Defining nanotechnology Overview Maori views with regard to

GM – what do we already know Nanotechnology and Maori Critical Issues Concluding remarks

Nanoscience and nanotechnology

Nanoscience – is the study of phenomena and manipulation of materials at atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales where properties differ significantly from those at larger scale.

Nanotechnology – is the design, characterisation, production and amplification of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanometre scale.

Applications of Nanotechnology

New forms of manufacturing (eg self assembling materials)

Development of new materials (eg ‘smart’ materials that retain shape, self cleaning)

New or more efficient electronic components and energy storage devices

Medical applications (eg therapies, diagnostic devices)

Environmental applications (water purification, cleaning of contaminated sties)

Military applications (eg weapons, armour sensors)(MORST, 2005)

“BANG” technologies

‘Bang’ refers to Bits, Atoms Neutrons, Genes (ETC 2004,5)

US Government stated that “the mastery of the nano-scale domain with convergent technologies will ultimately amount to the mastery of all nature” (ibid)

Maori and GE Literature

Barr, T. 1999. Discussion Paper for Mahinga Kai Tikanga and Ngai Tahu on Genetic Engineering. Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, Christchurch.

Cram, F., Pihama, L., and Philip Barbara, G. 2000. Maori and Genetic Engineering. International Research Institute for Maori and Indigenous Education, The University of Auckland.

Durie, M. 2003. Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture. Mana Tangata, Culture, Custom and Transgenic Research. Delivered at Massey University Wellington Campus.

Gardiner, D. 1997. Hands off our Genes: A Case study on the Theft of whakapapa.” in Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights: Economics, politics and colonisation V.2. IRI: Moko Productions.

Gibbs, N. 1996. Genetically Modified Organisms and Maori cultural and ethical Issues. Wellington: Ministry for the Environment.

Hutchings, J. 2001. Molecular Kaitiakitanga Guarding Our Sacred Molecules. Organic NZ. 60 (4) 9-10.

Hutchings, J. 2001a. Mana Wahine and GM – A Debate in Poverty. Pacific World. Pacific World. 60, June, 57 – 59.

Hutchings, J. 2001b. Molecular Kaitiakitanga Splice. The Magazine of the Genetics Forum. 17 (4) 12-14.

Maori and GM Literature cont…

Hutchings, J. 2004. Tradition and Test-tubes in Hindmarsh, R. Lawrence, G Recoding Nature Critical perspectives on Genetic Engineering.

Hutchings, J. 2004. Claiming our Ethical Space – A mana wahine Conceptual Framework for Discussing Genetic Modification. He Pukenga Korero. 8(1)pp17-27

Jackson, M. 2001. An Exquisite Politeness: The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification and the Redefining of The Treaty of Waitangi. Unpublished paper.

Mead, A. 1995. Biculturalism and Cultural Sensitivity in Human Gene Therapy and Research and Human Genetic Research: Issues of Particular Concern to Maori. Guidelines for Ethical, Cultural and Scientific Assessment. Final Report to the Health Research Council Ethics Committee. Health Research Council of New Zealand, New Zealand.

Mead, A. 1997. Resisting the Gene Raiders. New Internationalist. August.

Mead, A. 1998. Sacred Balance. He Pukenga Korero. Ngahuru (Autum)3 (2) 22-28

Ministry of Commerce. 1999. Maori and the Patenting of Life Form Inventions. An Information Paper Produced by the Patenting of Life Forms Focus Group for the Ministry of Commerce. The Ministry of Commerce, Wellington.

Nga Wahine Tiaki o Te Ao. 2001. Submission to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. Retrieved 2 March 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://gmcommission.govt.nz.

Reynolds, P. 2004. Nga Puna Whakapiri Indigenous Struggle and Genetic Engineering. Unpublished PhD Thesis: Auckland University: Auckland.

Maori and GM LiteratureRoberts, M, Haamii, B, Benton, R, Sattersfiled, T et al. Whakapapa as a Maori Mental Construct: Some implications for the

debate over the genetic modification of organisms. The Contemporary Pacific. 16(1)pp1-28.

RCGM, H. 2001. Report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, Wellington.

Solomon, M and Watson, L. 2001. The Waitangi Tribunal and the Maori claim to their cultural and intellectual heritage rights property. Cultural Survival Quarterly 24(4)pp46-50.

Smith, C and Reynolds, P. 1999. What Maori Should Know About the New Biotechnology. Wanganui Iwi Law Center, Wanganui.

Te Waka Kai Ora. 2002. Te Waka Kai Ora Incorporated Society Documents. Te Waka Kai Ora. Aotearoa.

Tipene Matua, B. 1997. Protecting, Enhancing and Promoting the Intellectual, Cultural and Biological Heritage of Maori: Te Kopere. Unpublished Masters Thesis. Lincoln University, Canterbury.

Tipene Matua, B. 2000. Report to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. Background Paper. Retrieved 20 July 2000 from the World Wide Web:http://gmcommission.govt.nz

Young, S. 2001. The Patentability of Maori traditional medicine and the morality exclusion in the Patents Act 1953. Victoria University of Wellington Law Review. 32(1)pp255-275.

Maori and GE – What we already know

Tikanga issues – mauri, whakapapa, ira, tapu, whenua Breaking down of traditional relationships in natural world Patents and intellectual property rights Food and food labelling Health risks Perpetuates colonisation eg biopiracy, biocolonialism Alienates Maori from their taonga Te Tiriti o Waitangi issues Controls of GM experiments and field tests Liability issue Investment of public research money into GE research Link between science, GM and free trade/globalisation Promotion of reductionist mechanistic scientific epistemologies

as opposed to holistic ecological scientific paradigms

Maori and GM views cont…

Inadequate legislation to ensure Maori a full decision making role with regard to new technologies

Lack of time to make an informed decision Need to protect flora, fauna and rongoa Scientists and CRI’s should be held accountable for the results of

their work Who will benefit? Who will control? Who knows what is truly

happening? Use of public money without any clear understanding of the risks of

benefits Science driven by multi-national and trans-national corporations. Profit driven science agenda Environmental impacts

(Hutchings, J. 2004. Tradition and Test-tubes in Hindmarsh, R. Lawrence, G Recoding Nature Critical perspectives on Genetic Engineering. RCGM, H. 2001. Report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, Wellington.)

GE Free Marae

GE Free Marae Kits were developed and distributed around the motu by the roopu Nga Wahine Tiaki o Te Ao and Aotearoa Educators.

Kits contained information about GE written by Maori for Maori.

Included information on how to submit to the ERMA process GE free food and protection of Maori cultural and intellectual property.

Flaxroots example of resistance to GE

Nanotechnology and Maori Te Tiriti o Waitangi issues Tikanga issues Predominance of western reductionist scientific paradigms over other holistic forms of

science Power and decision making Impacts on the environment Who will benefit? Opportunity cost Liability Intellectual Property and Patents Profit driven science Relevance of globally driven science for local solutions Failure to support biological diversity of the environment Promotion of an environmental relationship mediated by mechanistic reductionist

technology

Nanotechnology and Papatuanuku

Nanoparticles, nanowaste and other throw away devices may constitute whole new classes of non-biodegradable pollutants that scientists have very little understanding of.

Critical Issues

Western reductionist mechanistic view of life Co-opting of selected Maori ‘experts’ Re-interpretation of tikanga Framing of language and debate Power Gender implications Using our own frameworks to assess new

technologies – framing our own questions

Mana wahine framework to assess the

impact of new technologies

Tikanga Is this technology congruent with our tikanga?

Papatuanuku How does this technology protect the uha of Papatuanuku? Is the relationship between Maori women and Papatuanuku

enhanced through the use of this technology? Kaitiaki

As kaitiaki, do Maori women approve the use of this technology? What are the key elements the mana wahine kaitiaki role

protects? Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Does the development and implementation of this technology endorse our Te Tiriti rights?

Has this technology been developed with the full participation of Maori exercising their Te Tiriti rights?

Mana wahine framework for assessing new technologies cont…

Decolonisation How does this technology assist in the decolonisation of Maori? How does this technology challenge hegemonic colonial masculinist

ideologies? Decision-Making

In what ways are Maori women recognised and supported as decision-making participants in the development of this technology?

Are mana wahine perspectives visible and validated with regard to this technology?

Intellectual Property Rights Does this technology support Maori women protecting their cultural and

intellectual property? Is our biodiversity protected from commodification?

(Hutchings, J. 2004. Claiming our Ethical Space, - A Mana Wahine Conceptual Framework for Discussing Genetic Modification. He Pukenga Korero. 8(1) pp17-27.)

Democratising technology

Magic bullet myth Working with the principles of natural

science Lowering the entry requirement for

involvement Valuing existing knowledge Joint agenda setting

Creating Alliances for Change

‘Do as I do, not just as I say’ Build bridges between technical and

non-technical cultures of knowledge Build global-local coalitions

ReferencesArnall Alexander, 2003 Future Technologies, Today’s Choices Nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics; A

Technical, Political and Institutional Map of Emerging Technologies. London, Greenpeace Environmental Trust.

ECT Group, 2004 Down on the farm, the Impact of Nano-Scale Technologies on Food and Agriculture. Canada, ETC Group.

Hutchings, Jessica, 2004, Claiming our Ethical Space – A Mana Wahine Conceptual Framework for Discussing Genetic Modification. He Pukenga Korero – A Journal of Maori Studies 8 (2) 17-27.

Hutchings, Jessica and Reynolds, Paul. 2005 Maoria and the McScience and New Technologies – Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Research and Development. The Contemporary Pacific. Hawaii. (in press)

MORST Ministry for Research Science and Technology, 2005, Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies in New Zealand – Challenges and Opportunities for Research and Policy. Wellington, Ministry for Research Science and Technology.

RCGM 2001. Report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, Royal Commission on Genetic Modification: Wellington.

Reynolds, Paul and Smith Cheryl 2003 Aue! Genes and Genetics. Whanganui, New Zealand: Whanganui Iwi Law Centre.

Reynolds Paul and Hutchings Jessica 2005 The obfuscation of tikanga Maori in the GM debate. AlterNative Journal Inaugural issue, Auckland University: New Zealand. (In press).

Websites accessGreenpeace www.greenpeace.org (source of images)