<p style="text-align:center"><em><span style="font-size:12px">Rongo&#257; M&#257;ori Practitioners including from left Toni Shepherd (Kai Tahu), Sabre Puna (Ng&#257;ti Kahungunu), Awhitia Mihaere (Ng&#257;ti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata, Rangit&#257;ne, Maniapoto), Lucy Ripia (Te Rarawa) and Kororia Taumanu&nbsp;( Ng&#257;ti Kanohi, Ng&#257;ti Porou) offer a karakia to officially launch the CERLS Guidelines.</span></em></p>

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<p>On Tuesday 11 December, Whakauae Research in conjunction with Ng&#257; Pae o Te M&#257;ramatanga, launched <em>Cultural, Ethical, Research, Legal, Scientific, Issues of Rongo&#257; M&#257;ori</em>, a 63-page guideline for researchers and healers engaged in Rongo&#257; research. The guidelines document is the outcome of a year-long, Ng&#257; Pae o Te M&#257;ramatanga Kia T&#333; Kia Tipu Seeding Excellence research project. The study was conducted throughout 2017 with 12 participants representing the rongo&#257;, research, scientific and legal sectors. Selected experts in these fields were consulted to gain an understanding of the issues involved in undertaking Rongoa&#772; research in a manner that ensures the integrity of the research for the benefit of Rongoa&#772; Ma&#772;ori and for Ma&#772;ori people. Specifically participants were asked:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What are the cultural, ethical, research, legal and scientific (CERLS) issues that are inherent in research on Rongoa&#772; Ma&#772;ori?</li>
	<li>What are effective strategies to address each of these issues appropriately? and</li>
	<li>From your perspective and experience, how do you think future research should be conducted on Rongoa&#772; Ma&#772;ori??</li>
</ul>

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<p><img alt="" src="/uploads/images/cerls-book.jpg" style="height:336px; width:650px" /></p>

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<p>The purpose of the guidelines is twofold: to inform Rongo&#257; practitioners about their rights and responsibilities in research and to inform researchers about how Rongo&#257; M&#257;ori research should be conducted in accordance with Rongo&#257; healing principles.&nbsp; The guidelines offer a series of&nbsp; prompts for healers and researchers to consider under the headings of cultural, ethical, research, legal and scientific categories. There are also a number of recommendations for the sector as well as references to other material that readers may find useful such as links to relevant NZ legislation and Indigenous and UN documents.</p>

<p>Rongo&#257; practitioner, Donna Kerridge, says of the guidelines:</p>

<p style="margin-left:40px">&ldquo;The guidelines protect the academic rigour, cultural integrity and quality of Indigenous studies. They also protect the health and safety of our researchers and research subjects.&nbsp; They honour the care and protection of m&#257;tauranga M&#257;ori to establish healthy and enduring relationships with rongo&#257; M&#257;ori wh&#257;nau into the future.&rdquo;</p>

<p>We anticipate that the document will be useful to both Rongo&#257; practitioners and researchers, as well as wh&#257;nau, hap&#363;, iwi who wish to be informed about the issues around Rongo&#257; M&#257;ori research.</p>

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<p><a href="https://www.whakauae.co.nz/publications/press-releases/10/">The media release website can be found here.</a></p>

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<p><a href="https://www.whakauae.co.nz/publications/technical-reports/5/">A copy of the guidelines can be found here.</a></p>
