Māori Data Sovereignty Framework
Te Anga Mana Raraunga
Aligning Māori Data Sovereignty principles with international information security standards. Tikanga-based governance, grounded in rangatiratanga and shaped by the communities whose data we hold.
Purpose
Mindstake handles sensitive information - evaluation data, governance documents, strategic priorities. For Māori organisations, this data often carries obligations beyond privacy law. It connects to whakapapa, to whenua, to the standing of whānau, hapū, and iwi.
Te Anga Mana Raraunga is our framework for aligning Māori Data Sovereignty principles with international security standards, specifically ISO/IEC 27001:2022. It is a living document, shaped by ongoing engagement with iwi clients and guided by Te Mana Raraunga and the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance.
This framework applies to all data processed through Mindstake on behalf of Māori organisations. It does not replace the governance structures of any iwi, hapū, or whānau - it supports them.
Key concepts
These terms guide how we think about data governance. They are not technical definitions - they are principles that shape practice.
Māori Data
Data produced by Māori or about Māori and their environments. This includes quantitative, qualitative, cultural, and administrative data collected from, for, or about Māori.
Mana Raraunga
The inherent rights of Māori to exercise authority over their data. This extends the concept of mana to the digital realm - data carries the mana of the people it represents.
Mana Urungi
Governance authority. The right to make decisions about how data is collected, stored, used, and shared. This right rests with data owners, not data processors.
Kaitiaki
Guardians of data. Those entrusted with the care and protection of data, acting in the interests of those the data represents. Kaitiakitanga is an active responsibility, not a passive role.
Tapu and Noa
The classification framework that guides how data is handled. Tapu data requires the highest protections; noa data can be shared openly. These are not binary states - they exist on a spectrum with intermediate levels of restriction, reflecting the nuanced nature of tikanga-based governance.
Authority and control
The principle of rangatiratanga is foundational. Data owners retain ultimate authority over their data. Mindstake is a processor, not an owner. We act on instruction, within agreed boundaries, and under the governance of our clients.
Ownership
We do not claim ownership, licence rights, or secondary use rights over client data. All intellectual property in the data remains with the data owner. Analytical outputs derived from the data belong to the client.
Storage
All data is stored in New Zealand by default. Where clients require data to remain within specific jurisdictional boundaries, this is agreed and enforced at the infrastructure level.
Portability and deletion
Data export is available at any time, in standard formats. On contract end or at the data owner's request, and after a full export is offered, every copy of the data - on our servers, our backups and our own devices - is securely deleted, and the data owner receives a signed confirmation listing what was deleted, where and when.
Data lineage and auditability
Every piece of data in Mindstake has a clear lineage: where it came from, why it was collected, and on what basis consent was given. This is recorded at the point of collection and preserved throughout the data lifecycle.
Every report page, document, recording and transcript opened is logged against the signed-in user, and every time Mindstake takes a copy of your files to process them is logged too - in a record the platform cannot edit or delete, kept permanently, and available to your kaitiaki on request.
This is not just good practice. When handling data that carries cultural significance, the ability to account for every access and every use is a requirement of the trust placed in us.
Consent, dignity, and benefit
Free, prior, and informed consent
Consent is not a checkbox. It requires that data owners understand what they are consenting to, have genuine choice, and can withdraw consent at any time. Where data is collected on behalf of a community, consent processes must reflect the governance structures of that community.
Dignity
Findings that could affect the standing of whānau, hapū, or iwi are treated with care. Review processes exist for sensitive findings before they are shared. The kaitiaki matua has the authority to restrict access to outputs that may cause harm, and to require additional context or framing before release.
Reciprocity
Data collection should benefit those it comes from. Mindstake commits to ensuring that analytical outputs are returned to data owners in useful, accessible forms. Data is not extracted - it is processed, and the value returns to the community.
Data classification
All data processed through Mindstake is classified according to a four-level system aligned with tikanga. Each level carries specific handling requirements. Classification decisions are made by the data owner, not by Mindstake.
Mindstake has never processed Tapu data, and Tapu data is never sent to external AI. Where it is processed at all, it is processed only on Mindstake's own hardware.
Tapu
Highly sensitive
Sacred, genealogical, or culturally restricted data. Whakapapa records, karakia, sacred site information, and data that carries spiritual or ancestral significance.
Rāhui
Restricted
Commercially sensitive, strategic, or personally identifiable data. Business cases, financial information, individual survey responses, and governance documents.
Whakaiti
Internal
Operational data, project documentation, and working papers. Rubric definitions, scoring frameworks, and internal reports used during an evaluation process.
Noa
Open
Published data, public-facing outputs, and general communications. Aggregated results, published reports, and information explicitly approved for sharing.
A document's classification is set when it is uploaded and stays fixed. It changes only on a written request from the data owner.
Governance roles
Data governance requires clear accountability. These three roles ensure that decisions about data are made by people with the authority and responsibility to make them.
Kaitiaki Matua
Senior Guardian
Holds overall responsibility for data governance within the organisation. Approves classification decisions for Tapu and Rāhui data. Usually a senior leader or designated data governance officer within the client organisation. This role cannot be delegated to Mindstake.
Kaitiaki Raraunga
Data Guardian
Day-to-day oversight of data handling practices. Manages access permissions, reviews audit logs, and monitors compliance with classification requirements. Reports to the Kaitiaki Matua. This role may be held by a staff member within the client organisation or jointly with Mindstake under agreed terms.
Rōpū Kaitiaki
Guardian Group
A governance group that reviews data practices, investigates concerns, and advises on classification decisions. Meets regularly and includes representation from data owners. The rōpū provides collective oversight and ensures that governance decisions reflect the values and priorities of the community.
Compliance framework
Te Anga Mana Raraunga aligns with the following instruments and standards. Compliance is not the ceiling - it is the foundation.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The foundational relationship between the Crown and Māori, including the principle of rangatiratanga over taonga - which includes data.
Privacy Act 2020
New Zealand's privacy legislation. Governs the collection, use, disclosure, and storage of personal information.
ISO/IEC 27001:2022
International standard for information security management systems. Provides the technical security framework that supports tikanga-based governance.
UNDRIP
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Articles 18, 19, and 31 affirm rights to participate in decision-making and maintain cultural heritage.
Te Mana Raraunga Charter
The Māori Data Sovereignty Network's charter. Establishes the principles of Māori authority over Māori data.
CARE Principles
Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics. International principles for Indigenous data governance, complementing FAIR data principles.
Security controls
Technical security underpins every governance decision. These controls are in place across all data classifications, with additional protections applied based on classification level.
Encryption at rest
AES-256 encryption for all stored data
Encryption in transit
TLS 1.3 on every connection, with our servers accepting authenticated traffic only; links between our own machines run inside an encrypted WireGuard network
Secure deletion
Every copy erased, with signed confirmation
Data return
Full data export in standard formats on contract end
Ongoing assurance
Annual security review and penetration testing
This framework is reflected in how we work with iwi clients. See how Māori Data Sovereignty principles are applied in practice in our Raukawa and Ngāi Tahu case studies, or learn more about our values and approach.
Getting started
Most teams are up and running within a few weeks. We work alongside you to set up your first decision process - criteria, rubrics, and scoring - then hand it over so you can run it yourself.
An initial conversation to understand your decision context
We help you define criteria and build your rubric
Your team runs the process on your own Mindstake instance