PURITIA DECLARATION
Puritia is a kaupapa Māori framework for the screen and creative sectors. Informed by the work and experience of Māoriland Charitable Trust, we aim to provide Indigenous creatives with practical examples and tools by which we can embed and honour our Indigenous values in our work.
Puritia – in Māori means to protect or retain, embodies the concept of nurturing, protecting, and preserving authenticity and integrity in storytelling, with a view to the future.
Alongside our tikanga or values, Puritia offers a structured approach to talent development and production, ensuring that Indigenous potential is recognised and nurtured.
Ngā Mihi Whaimana ki Tēnā, ki Tēnā – Acknowledgements
Māoriland acknowledges:
a) Each Indigenous film or production brings together leading experts, who each have expertise in their respective field or fields.
b) Each contributor to the Indigenous film or production is a holder of a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and in particular, each contributor brings that knowledge and expertise to the Indigenous Film or production.
c) An Indigenous film or production shares and communicates Indigenous stories, worldviews, protocols, and cultures; and
d) Each contributor has rights and interests in their own knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and their stories and those rights and interests are retained by the contributor.
Ngā Tikanga o te Roopū – Relationship Principles and Values
The following principles will inform the relationship between the parties who wish to engage with Puritia:
a) Mana Ōrite – Respective views will be heard, considered, and afforded equal explanatory power and respect.
b) Whanaungatanga – The relationship between Māoriland and any contributor is strong and built upon mutual respect, shared values, and a shared vision aimed toward ensuring knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories are acknowledged, respected, and protected.
c) Kōtahitanga – Māoriland and any contributor will work together to achieve the aspirations of the Declaration of Indigenous Cinema.
d) Rangatiratanga – An understanding that Māoriland and any contributor will work collectively, but each Party has their own mana and standing.
e) Whakamana – Inclusiveness, acknowledging the respective value and roles of Māoriland and the contributors.
f) Kaitiakitanga – A shared respect and acknowledgement of the knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories included in the curation, storage, and sharing of any Indigenous film or production.
Ngā Tikanga o te Mātauranga – Indigenous Knowledge Principles and Values
The following principles will inform the management of knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories:
(a) Rangatiratanga – self-determination;
(b) Ngākau Tapatahi – working towards a common purpose;
(c) Matawhānui – openness and transparency; and
(d) Manaaki – active protection.
Rangatiratanga – self-determination
Self-determination is the right of Indigenous people to authority and control over their affairs. Indigenous people derive self-determination and connect to knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories from ancestry. This important relationship must be acknowledged, respected, and always protected. Maintenance of this important relationship requires:
(a) The Indigenous film or product is made available to Māoriland and Puritia at the sole discretion of the Indigenous peoples who have the ancestral connection to the Indigenous film or production, the knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories incorporated into the Indigenous film or production;
(b) Respect and recognition of the rights and interests that Indigenous peoples have to the knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories within any Indigenous film or production;
(c) Building internal capability, and capacity to engage with Indigenous peoples and to support the important relationship between Indigenous peoples and knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories;
(d) Seeking free prior informed consent from Indigenous peoples to access and use knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories; and
(e) Sharing in any benefits derived from the access and use of knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories.
Ngākau Tapatahi – working towards a common purpose
Ngākau Tapatahi refers to a partnership built on a common purpose. It is from this common purpose that capacity, capability, understanding, and meaningful engagement is achieved. Ngākau Tapatahi will result in a true partnership. Ngākau Tapatahi requires the following to prosper:
(a) A willingness from Māoriland and Puritia to provide Indigenous peoples time and space to explore and develop their relationship with knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories;
(b) Actively seeking out opportunities to work with Indigenous peoples to support the aspirations of Indigenous peoples, including projects aimed specifically at Indigenous peoples;
(c) Building external capability and capacity in Indigenous peoples to enable Indigenous peoples to hold and manage knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories in their own lands/regions;
(d) Enabling indigenous peoples and their storytellers to forge relationships with anyone they wish, including non-indigenous professionals and creatives who possess demonstrable respect, requisite abilities, and shared aspirations.
Matawhānui – openness and transparency
Matawhānui refers to openness and transparency from Māoriland and Puritia when dealing with Indigenous peoples and their respective knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories. Openness and transparency will ensure a relationship of trust is developed between Māoriland and Puritia and Indigenous peoples. Māoriland and Puritia when carrying out its research will acknowledge that they merely hold knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories for kaitiaki. Matawhānui requires Māoriland and Puritia to:
(a) Allow Indigenous peoples free and open access to the knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories where there is an ancestral relationship, including allowing Indigenous peoples to set rules on access by others and trusting Indigenous peoples to adequately care for knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories;
(b) Creation of an open and clear process for receiving, accessing, recording, and sharing items, including knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories as part of Puritia;
(c) Acknowledge the past and work toward a better future in how knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories is treated.
Manaaki – active protection
Manaaki refers to the active protection of knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories held by Māoriland and Puritia. It is an acknowledgement by Māoriland and Puritia that Indigenous peoples are the original and appropriate caretakers of the knowledge and expertise of Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories. The role of Māoriland and Puritia is to hold and protect knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories until such time the Indigenous peoples with the ancestral connection have the ability to do so themselves. A mechanism for active protection will include:
(a) Creating pathways for more Indigenous peoples to work within the film industry;
(b) Creating opportunities for assisting Indigenous peoples to properly identify and connect to knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories;
(c) Creating a framework and process for returning knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories to Indigenous peoples with the ancestral connection; and
(d) Ensuring that any confidential knowledge and expertise, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, culture, and Indigenous stories remain confidential.
Engaging Kaimahi
Māoriland Charitable Trust is committed to empowering all kaimahi to fully contribute to Māoriland by facilitating and supporting professional development and ongoing support, ensuring that the pillars of our kaupapa are upheld.
Māoriland is committed to:
- A safe, supportive and healthy environment for all kaimahi and their whānau.
- A workplace that celebrates the identities of our kaimahi.
- Fairly remunerate kaimahi for work done, including contractors and temporary kaimahi.
- Proactively invest in the career development of kaimahi.
- Not tolerate any form of unfair discrimination in the workplace on any ground.
- Support kaimahi to explore and develop their own creativity.
- Maintain and advance their commitment to te reo Maori me ōna tikanga.
- Māoriland has a proactive and supportive approach to succession planning. All kaimahi are supported to grow into their next role by training teina to replace them.
Who We Work With
Māoriland exists to celebrate Indigenous storytelling.
To be eligible for Māoriland programs, including the Māoriland Film Festival, Māoriland Filmmaker Residency, Te Uru Maire and Puritia, you must be an Indigenous creative.
In the case of collective projects – such as films, an Indigenous creative must be credited in a key role such as director, producer or screenwriter.
An Indigenous creative must either self-identify with and be recognised as an Indigenous person or have demonstrated experience in the area of authentic Indigenous storytelling. Indigenous peoples are also known as Tangata Whenua, Aboriginal, Native, First Peoples or Tribal Peoples who belong to; or who have had an uninterrupted relationship with their land. This is distinct from those people who have arrived from another place to live in a country.
While a key creative involved in the project must be Indigenous, the issue or content of the film may be non-Indigenous.
This recognises the diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives of Indigenous people(s), worldwide.
Māoriland prioritises work that:
- Innovates in order to present unique and new Indigenous perspectives
- Provides a portal to the Indigenous world for ALL peoples.
- Upholds the mana (respect for) and inspiration of our Indigenous storytellers – guided by our Indigenous elders and taught by our Indigenous children.
- Respects our audience
- Relevance of work in regards to emerging themes and issues that shape our wider Indigenous experience.
Authentic Indigenous storytelling are works created with genuine, mutual, and active participation from an Indigenous person, group or groups of Indigenous peoples. Innovates in order to present unique and new Indigenous perspectives