About Us

Current executive members are:

Ross Himona - Kaumatua and Honary Life member

Karaitiana Taiuru - Interim Chairman

Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara

Teanau Tuiono

Below is a list of objectives and goals which will be added to as we develop and evolve:

- New Zealand Māori Internet Society believe that the migration and increased participation of Māori onto the internet and world wide web need not be limited to being mere participants only in the current structure and facilities available.
Rather, we believe that the internet and World Wide Web can be fashioned and shaped to better encapsulate our culture and discourses.

- New Zealand Māori Internet Society recognises that Māori have a long history of resistance to the commodification of their culture and knowledges.
We also recognise that current intellectual property laws are completely inadequate at protecting Māori culture from commercial exploitation.

- New Zealand Māori Internet Society believe that modes of communication and dissemination of information are inadequate to encompass and promote future dynamic growth of Māori culture, values and discourse, online.

Objectives of theNew Zealand Māori Internet Society are as follows:

1/ to promote and define a strong Māori presence and entity on the internet.
2. Participate and seek relationships with many national and International IT bodies.....
3/ to promote internet service creators over services users and participants.

1/ to promote and define a strong Māori presence and entity on the internet.

According to early anthropologists, Māori would disappear by the turning of the 19th century. Yet this culture of people are still alive and well, and struggling to survive and maintain identity in a heavily colonised and commericalised world.

With the push by western block countries for a singular consumer culture, the internet currently presents a new and more devastating tool of neo-colonisation and assimilation into the larger dominant western paradigms and super-culture.

Currently the only definably Māori aspects of the internet are a small assortment of websites, a few pieces of application software and the <.maori.nz> second level domain name. Along with an ever growing number of commercial products that have commodified Māori culture and expression.

2. New Zealand Māori Internet Society will participate and seek relationships with many national and International IT bodies and actively participate in:

(a) government submission processes on legislation
(b) Represent Māori on government consultation processes
(c) International discussions and forums that can/do impact Māori.
(d) National submissions, surveys that concern the .nz Internet space

New Zealand Māori Internet Society will work directly with Māori Internet community including individuals, Iwi and Hapu and will support any non Māori organisation that wishes to advanceMāori in Information Technology.

3/ to promote internet service creators vs/over services users and participants.

We recognise that the majority of Māori are participators only in the internet.

In order for the internet and World Wide Web to become more supportive of Māori culture and identity, then there is a dire need for Māori internet developers who can become authors and creators of web functions and web structures more conducive to our modus operandi.

This means moving on from just web design and email list management to web programming, application development, communications enhancements to better suit Māori styles and values of communications.

Also advanced online community building systems that promote Māori culture and discourses.