The potential of registries of indigenous knowledge and centralised indigenous authorities in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Registries of Indigenous knowledge and centralised Indigenous authorities to oversee these have been advanced as mechanisms to prevent the misappropriation of Indigenous knowledge within Western intellectual property (IP) systems. This article critically examines the potential and limitations of such registries and centralised authorities in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with 12 Māori creators and intermediaries working within the NZ innovation ecosystem, the article explores Māori perspectives on the benefits, risks, and implications of establishing a registry of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and a centralised authority to govern it. While participants identified possible advantages—including evidentiary functions, support for commercialisation, educational value for third parties, and improved recognition within Western regulatory and IP systems—none viewed registries or centralised authorities as unproblematic. Several participants raised concerns that registries and centralisation are Western constructs that are ill‐suited to reflecting either key Māori values and relationships to knowledge, particularly whakapapa (genealogy) and hononga (relationships), or te ao Māori (the Māori worldview). The perception of risks relating to loss of control, commodification, governance, and access—especially in the context of digital technologies and artificial intelligence—was prominent. The article concludes that, although registries may enhance the operation of Western IP systems, they risk undermining Māori knowledge systems and self‐determination unless they are fundamentally reimagined to transcend colonial logics.