'Your child is your whakapapa': Maori Considerations of Assisted Reproduction and Human Relatedness

Abstract

Based on data from the first study of Maori attitudes to assisted reproductive technologies, this article analyses the domaining of knowledge regarding biological and cultural reproduction. In particular, we examine the ways in which research participants portray whakapapa as an essential human and cultural resource, placed at the centre of considerations regarding relatedness and the appropriate use of AHR. The socio-political and historical circumstances of colonisation and Treaty settlement processes are investigated as contexts of 'possibility' that influence differing interpretations of whakapapa in relation to descent and contemporary kinship. In conclusion we suggest aspects of Maori concepts of relatedness and reproduction that warrant detailed ethnographic study in relation to contemporary political, economic and social change in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Health and wellbeing of Māori secondary school students in New Zealand: Trends between 2001, 2007 and 2012

“…M āori are a dynamic, unique and resilient people who have undergone significant social change through an ongoing experience of colonisation 1,2 . The Māori history of colonisation is well documented 3–5 and continues to have direct and ongoing impact on Māori wellbeing through the cumulative effect of intergenerational trauma 6 and interpersonal and structural racism 7,8 . For Māori youth, this is evidenced by significant health, education and social disparities.…”

Normalising post-mortems – whose cultural imperative? An indigenous view on New Zealand post-mortem policy

“…However, it could be argued that, even upon death, Māori continue to be subjected to practices which are firmly rooted in ongoing colonialism. For this reason, new technologies and procedures need to be assessed for how they contribute to Māori goals, particularly the ultimate goal: to survive as a unique people and culture (Glover & Rousseau 2007). Even with the amendments to the Coroners Act (2006) there remains tension between the practice of post-mortem procedures and Māori tikanga.…”

Should Surrogate Pregnancy Arrangements be Enforceable in Aotearoa New Zealand?

“…One of the surrogate mothers interviewed in study 1 said that she agreed to be a traditional surrogate for her sister because they valued keeping genetics and reproductive matters within the family, as did several egg donors. Likewise, Glover and Rousseau's (2007) qualitative research shows that for Mäori who subscribe to traditional views, what is given in the process of third-party reproduction is not simply the generous gift of shared body tissue, but a different kind of futurity for the individual concerned and the groups to which they belong. It is not just bodily matter that gets transferred between donors, recipients and the larger group, but also rights and responsibilities, and, with that, the importance of information sharing about donor conception.…”

“…This involves 'giving up' and signing away a relationship with the baby in the interests of the intended parents. The idea of relinquishing the baby, as an individuated entity, does not account for the surrogate mother's guardianship of the baby at birth, her relationship with the intended parents, or different cultural views of bodily donation in relation to social identity (Glover and Rousseau, 2007).…”