On July 24, 2021, in the context of a review of the secondary school curriculum National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), seven University of Auckland professors and emeriti professors (known informally as the Listener Seven) published a letter titled "In Defence of Science" in the current affairs magazine New Zealand Listener, which generated considerable controversy for claiming indigenous knowledge (or mātauranga Māori) "falls far short of what can be defined as science itself.
"[1] In February 2020, the New Zealand Cabinet proposed several changes to the country's secondary school curriculum National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) including according equal status to mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge).
[2][3] In response to a 2021 report from a Government NCEA working group which proposed changes to the Māori school curriculum to ensure mātauranga Māori's parity with Western epistemologies, seven University of Auckland senior academics Kendall Clements, Garth Cooper, Michael Corballis, Doug Elliffe, Robert Nola, Elizabeth Rata, and John Werry penned a letter that was published in the 31 July issue of the New Zealand Listener expressing disagreement with two of the report's assertions: The authors argued that science was universal to humanity with origins in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, and India.
The authors also asserted that science was neutral rather than a tool of colonialism, highlighting its contributions to tackling global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
[7] University of Auckland vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater said the letter "caused considerable hurt and dismay among our staff, students and alumni" and that "the institution had respect for mātauranga Māori as a valuable knowledge system, and that it was not at odds with Western empirical science and did not need to compete.
"[13] Researcher and scholar Tina Ngata claimed that "this letter, in all of its unsolicited glory, is a true testament to how racism is harboured and fostered within New Zealand academia.
[18][19][4] Similar sentiments were echoed by conservative British social commentator and associate editor of The Spectator Toby Young, who defended Cooper and likened the Royal Society's investigation to a witch hunt.
[20] In mid-November 2021, the New Zealand Free Speech Union objected to the Royal Society's investigation as an attack on academic freedom and organised a fundraiser to support Cooper and Nola.
[22] In mid December 2021, University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Freshwater announced that a symposium would be held in early 2022 to discuss and debate the relationship between matauranga Māori and science.
[28] The vitalist Māori concept of mauri was inserted into the New Zealand national chemistry curriculum, and the government ignored the objections of science teachers citing the 'equal status' (mana ōrite) policy.