In the context of digital health, physiotherapists should recognise that Māori data is a taonga to Māori and is subject to Māori data governance.
Māori data sovereignty refers to the inherent rights and interests that Māori have in relation to the collection, ownership, and application of Māori data1.
We have posted a podcast in which Chief Professional Advisor Damon Newrick talks to Dr Karaitiana Taiuru about Māori data sovereignty and considerations around this when using digital health tools. Dr Karaitiana is an AI and Data Consultant, and the chair of the AI Forum’s Kāhui Māori. He is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading voices in digital technology ethics and Māori data sovereignty
You can also hear Dr Karaitiana speak as part of our 2025 Digital Health webinar, available here.
Further resources and learning about Māori Data Sovereignty
Te Mana Raraunga (Māori Data Sovereignty Network) has several educational resources and presentations where you can learn more about Māori data sovereignty.
We recommend that you look at the following resources:
Principles of Māori data sovereignty
This brief provides a general overview of key Māori data sovereignty terms and principles.
This report describes the Māori data governance model that has been designed by Māori data experts for use across the Aotearoa New Zealand public service.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty, AI and Algorithms
This includes a series of presentations by Te Mana Raraunga members at the Māori AI Wānanga 2022.