Discourses for decolonization: affirming Maori authority in New Zealand workplaces

When dominant group members participate in the work of decolonization, their tasks are different from those of indigenous peoples. This study identifies key features of alternative discourses used by members of the dominant group in New Zealand workplaces. Sixteen accounts of organizational changes to implement te Tiriti o Waitangi , 1840, which guaranteed indigenous Maori authority, were analysed using the methods of critical discourse analysis. Two new resources were critically important to narrators of such change: (i) affirmation of self‐determined Maori authority (tino rangatiratanga) and (ii) pursuit of a ‘right relationship’ between Maori and Pakeha in a new constitutional framework of dual authorities. These discursive resources are discussed in the context of an ongoing critical dialogue between Maori and Pakeha about decolonization work.