Rolling in the river: Pākehā reflections of applying He Awa Whiria, a braided rivers way of working

Litmus is a Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) aspiring organisation.

We acknowledge Te Tiriti as the founding document of Aotearoa / New Zealand. We acknowledge the impact of colonisation, past and present, on whānau Māori, hapū and iwi. We are committed to ensuring all work we undertake contributes to Tino Rangatiratanga and mana motuhake of whānau, hapū and iwi. Our commitment is supported by working in partnership with Māori evaluators and leaders. Working with our Māori partners, our practice harnesses Mātauranga Māori and Western Science using He Awa Whiria, a braided rivers way of working.

Our presentation will share Pākehā (non-Māori) reflections of applying a He Awa Whiria approach in a range of evaluations over the last 10 years. We will draw on evaluations of Place-based Initiatives, process and outcomes evaluation of health and justice programmes. Braiding rivers requires established relationships, trust, respect and reciprocity. On our journey, we did some things well and others not. Come - we want to share the journey with you.