ABSTRACT
This chapter traces various interpretations of the loss of the bicultural team as ‘meaning-making’ by staff. The purpose of the bicultural team, consisting of two bicultural advisors, was to implement biculturalism at the workplace through policy making, facilitating workshops and compiling information on tikanga Maori on TP’s internal website ‘kete’ and in booklets for staff. The chapter suggests that non-Maori actually overlook the dominance of their own culture within TP, because to them it is invisible. Ignorance of Maori protocol inevitably leads to making mistakes, another avenue for ‘getting’ biculturalism at TP. Some TP staff has become more bicultural through their exposure to biculturalism and their lives have been transformed to some extent. The majority of staff found the existence of this team and the resources they provided very helpful as a ‘one-stop-shop’ about anything regarding biculturalism and believed that ‘Te Roopu Whakamana Maori’ were instrumental in ensuring that “policy filters into all areas”.
