Iwi affiliation data has been released from the 2018 Census thanks to the help of Rotorua-based Data Iwi Leaders Group chairwoman Karen Vercoe. Photo / Supplied
Iwi affiliation data has been released from the 2018 Census thanks to the help of Rotorua-based Data Iwi Leaders Group chairwoman Karen Vercoe. Photo / Supplied
Te Arawa is the seventh-largest iwi in the country by population with more than 60,000 members.
It comes as the release of official data on iwi affiliation has been made available this week, after the botched 2018 Census left Māori and iwi organisations empty-handed.
The new information, released by StatsNZ and the Rotorua-based Data Iwi Leaders Group, includes estimates of iwi population based on a combination of data from the previous two censuses.
It also includes estimates on social data like marae attendance, age distribution, level of education and homeownership.
The iwi affiliation information was an asset to iwi across the country. Photo / Getty Images
Data Iwi Leaders Group (ILG) lead technician Kirikowhai Mikaere (Tuhourangi, Ngāti Whakaue) said the information was an asset to iwi across the country.
"You get the real value from data when you understand the context and nobody understands the context better than us.
"It's being able to put our narratives with our stats. When you don't have the stats people sometimes just think they are stories. It also gives evidence to the thinking and connecting that we already know."
The data includes estimates on social data like marae attendance and more. Photo / NZME
The availability of the data creates the opportunity for the right investment in health, education and in communities, Mikaere said.
In April 2019, Stats NZ announced official statistical counts of iwi from the 2018 Census would not be published due to missing iwi affiliation data and a lack of alternative government data sources to fill gaps in the data.
"The census effectively lets you see everybody across the country ... but we couldn't see ourselves.
"There are big consequences when you inadvertently make people invisible because you don't collect the data properly," Mikaere said.
The 2018 estimates will be stored in Te Whata, the recently launched online platform built to store iwi data for reference.
Te Whata includes a searchable database of iwi information, for instance, that 26.7 per cent of Te Arawa report te reo Māori is spoken regularly at home compared to 23.1 per cent for all Māori.
Data ILG chairwoman Karen Vercoe said their aim was to shift the conversation about iwi and Māori data and the importance of iwi data sovereignty.
"Our data needs to be accessible for our use, and not just for government.
"Te Whata is a demonstration of the capability that our own people have in understanding, designing, analysing and disseminating data according to our own needs – for iwi data needs."
Iwi affiliation data has been released from the 2018 Census thanks to the help of Rotorua-based Data Iwi Leaders Group chairwoman Karen Vercoe. Photo / Supplied
The new estimates are the result of the 2018 Census not being able to deliver official statistics due to the high level of missing iwi data.
In 2018, Stats NZ was only able to collect census forms from 68.2 per cent of Māori, down from 88.5 per cent in 2013.
The government organisation apologised by acknowledging the delay in releasing the data, and the impacts the delay had on iwi.
The work completed has reduced the impact of the missing data, but there are limitations to how the estimates can be used, said Te Tohu Rautaki Angitū Māori Stats NZ director Rhonda Paku.
"The Data ILG, with its understanding of and connections to iwi populations, has played a critical role in the evaluation and analysis of the 2018 Census iwi data, and use of appropriate methods to improve the quality of the data to make these estimates possible.
"Delivering for and with Māori, iwi, and hapū is one of our organisation's four strategic priorities."
Data ILG will be running a roadshow for iwi in July and August, to demonstrate Te Whata and to train iwi-nominated administrators in how to use the full functionality of the data tool.
