Does your business reflect the bi-cultural nature of Aotearoa, would I be able to stand anywhere in your workplace and see two cultures reflected, including aspects of the local Māori narrative (history)?
No, I do not.
Within your policy you need to outline ways in which your business is able to reflect the bi-culural nature of Aotearoa whilst also representing and honoring the local narrative. You need to think about including the following aspects of Mana Ūkaipo:
- Your business needs to reflect the place of where it is e.g. local narrative. To do this you could do the following:
- Seek out and form a positive relationship with mana whenua (local hapū / iwi). Once this relationship has been established you can begin to find out any local stories
- All staff need to know and understand these local Māori stories and about the local narrative/history and should be able to say who the mana whenua are and know some information about them too
- Your business should offer opportunities of whakawhanaungatanga to local hapū/iwi and be open to any ways in which you could collaborate with them
- Use the narrative to inform aspects of your business e.g. colour schemes, names of places within your business (please note that this process MUST start with the formation of a positive relationship with local hapū first, and they are the ones who may be able to gift these names).