Mr. Connor Yates1
1University of Auckland, New Zealand
Biography:
Connor Yates is a first-year doctoral candidate at the University of Auckland researching the evolution and incorporation of indigenous Māori values into the identity and practices of the New Zealand Defence Force.
His doctoral research is a merging of both his admiration for those who serve their countries in military capacities, his deeply rooted respect for indigenous ideologies and his belief in the utilitarian values they can have in society.
Connor obtained his Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics/International Relationship and Criminology and his Masters in Conflict and Terrorism Studies and is also a part of the Military Organisation and Culture Studies – an academic grouping focused on the collection and analysis relating to the relationship between war, the military, and civil society.
Abstract:
Māori have made significant contributions to Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa/New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) where they have historically been represented at rates disproportionately higher than their share of the general population. However, until the mid-1990s, Indigenous knowledge and practices were largely absent from the military’s institutional framework. Māori personnel were generally expected to conform to prevailing Western military paradigms, often at the expense of their Indigenous identity.
The adoption of bicultural policies within the NZDF has since initiated profound changes in the organisation’s identity. This work examines this unique transformation, tracing the processes that have led to a greater state of biculturalism than perhaps any national military across the world. It argues that incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems into military curricula provides a multitude of potential benefits including but not limited to: an enhancement the experiences of service personnel, greater operational effectiveness, and a validation of indigeneity in essential matters of state security. While acknowledging that the integration of Māori values may not align with the preferences of every individual and there is still room for significant improvement, this research draws on both historical and contemporary analyses within Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa and amplifies the perspectives of both Māori and Pākehā service members.
This study situates itself within a bicultural military institution in a nation striving to establish a meaningful partnership between Māori, the tangata whenua (Indigenous people), and non-Māori, the kaiwhakanoho whenua (settler population) of Aotearoa.