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Maps for hui and wānanga

Maps used in hui and wānanga are part of the kōrero. They can help people remember places, compare what has changed, make relationships visible and work through choices together.

They should not turn the hui into a consultation exercise where a project team presents a finished frame and asks Māori participants for feedback.

A useful map creates room for kōrero. It does not decide in advance what kind of knowledge counts or what the answer must look like.

He kupu iti

If the map touches mātauranga, wāhi tapu, taonga species, whakapapa-linked places or other sensitive kōrero, decide what is appropriate for that hui before deciding what the GIS is capable of showing.

Start with the kaupapa of the hui​

Before preparing a map, understand why people are coming together.

Ask:

  • What needs kōrero or a decision?
  • Who is part of that kōrero, and what mandate do they hold?
  • What maps or information would genuinely help?
  • What would distract from the kaupapa?
  • What should be spoken about but not recorded?
  • What could be displayed in the room but should not leave it?
  • What needs to come back to a later hui rather than be settled today?

Do not create a detailed map simply because GIS can produce one.

The map is not the authority in the room​

A polished map can appear more certain than the kōrero around it. People may defer to a crisp line, official basemap or coloured model because it looks formal.

Make the status of the information visible:

  • draft
  • indicative
  • one source among several
  • modelled rather than observed
  • incomplete
  • prepared for this kaupapa only

If the purpose is to explore or question a boundary, do not draw it in a way that visually declares the argument finished.

Use familiar places for orientation​

People should not have to read a GIS legend before they can locate themselves.

Useful context may include:

  • awa, maunga, coastlines and other familiar physical features
  • marae and settlements where appropriate
  • known roads and access routes
  • locally used ingoa wāhi

Choose the context that makes sense for the people in the room rather than automatically accepting the basemap's hierarchy of roads, parcels and administrative boundaries.

A useful three-map pattern​

Three simple maps are often better than one overloaded map.

1. Kei hea tātou? Where are we in this kōrero?​

Use an overview with enough familiar context to orient people.

2. He aha te kaupapa? What are we talking about?​

Show the issue, change, proposal or question that needs attention. Keep unrelated layers out.

3. He aha ngā pātai? What needs kōrero?​

Use a map designed for discussion, alternatives, annotations or open questions. Leave visual space rather than filling every part of the page with existing information.

The headings can be changed to suit local usage and the kaupapa. They are prompts, not a required tikanga formula.

Mark-up maps are not automatic data collection​

People may draw on a printed map, point to a location or add kōrero during a hui. Do not assume that anything marked on a sheet is now project data that can be digitised and reused.

Before capturing marked-up information, be clear about:

  • why it is being recorded
  • whether names or comments will be attributed
  • who can see the record afterwards
  • whether it will become a GIS layer
  • whether people will have a chance to review what was captured
  • what should remain only in the hui record or not be retained at all

If detailed or sensitive kōrero arises unexpectedly, stop the capture process rather than quietly adding it to the database later.

Design for kōrero, not performance​

Maps in a hui should be readable from where people are sitting and simple enough to discuss without a GIS specialist translating every symbol.

Useful habits include:

  • large labels
  • short legends
  • plain language
  • familiar names
  • visible date and status
  • enough white space for annotation
  • separate maps for separate questions

A technically impressive map that closes down conversation is a poor hui map.

Decide what may leave the room​

There may be several legitimate versions of the same map:

  • in-room display only
  • whānau or hapū copy
  • internal organisational copy
  • purpose-limited partner version
  • public version

Those are not simply security classifications. They reflect different relationships and purposes.

Assume that displayed material can be photographed. If a photo of the screen would disclose something inappropriate, prepare a safer display version or keep the detail verbal.

If outside organisations are present​

A hui involving councils, Crown agencies, consultants or researchers may carry different expectations from an internal hapū or whānau hui.

Be explicit about:

  • who is taking notes
  • what records will be kept
  • whether maps or photographs may be copied
  • what information is being provided only to support the immediate kōrero
  • what requires further mandate before it can be treated as an agreed position

Attendance at a hui does not make every statement or map annotation an organisational commitment.

After the hui​

Do not describe the next step merely as processing feedback.

Depending on the kaupapa, the work may include:

  • recording decisions and unresolved pātai
  • returning marked-up maps for checking
  • distinguishing individual kōrero from an agreed collective position
  • updating a draft map while preserving the earlier version
  • recording what information must remain restricted
  • bringing the revised representation back to a later hui
  • making sure promised maps or data are actually returned

The record should preserve enough context that somebody reading it later understands what the hui did and did not decide.

A practical check before the hui​

Kaupapa​

  • The reason for the map is clear.
  • The map supports a question or decision rather than setting the answer.
  • The people who need to be part of the kōrero have been considered.

Meaning​

  • Names and familiar places are appropriate.
  • Boundaries and modelled information are not shown with false certainty.
  • Crown or council layers are not presented as the only truth in the room.

Tikanga and safety​

  • Sensitive detail is appropriate for this particular hui.
  • The map is safe if photographed, or photography expectations are understood.
  • The handling of any new kōrero or mark-up is clear.

Practical use​

  • The map is readable at the actual print or screen size.
  • Date and status are visible.
  • There is room for kōrero rather than a wall of layers.
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