As with any research project conducted in partnership with a different culture, it is a learning process, and often can be uncomfortable for a student. It is normal to feel “frozen” in situations that you aren’t familiar with. Students should try and sit in this discomfort and reflect on why it may feel uncomfortable, rather than giving into the urge to get rid of the discomfort as quickly as possible. From this, students can identify what they need to learn more about to become more comfortable in such situations.
The important part here is continuing to learn and being open to feedback. We encourage a mindset of being willing to grow and learn from discomforts, and also be able to apologize and accept when students may do something “incorrectly.”
“Non-Māori might embrace discomfort. Along with learning to sit with our discomfort, reflecting on Pākehā identity and processes of colonisation can be a foundation for thinking about how we might reciprocate the welcome extended by Māori and what it means to be held together within a Treaty relationship.”
– Amanda Thomas in Chapter 2: Pākehā and doing the work of de-colonization of Imagining Decolonisation, edited Rebecca Kiddle, 2020.
Feeling Nervous before Sharing Mihi
We experienced discomfort before sharing our mihis. Before we first shared our mihis we were nervous about pronouncing words wrong or sharing the mihi incorrectly. However, in this discomfort we reflected that we needed to learn more about pronunciation, and more about how to share our mihis. We ended up sharing our mihis, and while not perfect, the participants appreciated our effort, and we were able to improve our Māori language skills.