For the Inaugural Barry Smith Lecture I will reflect on the different ways in which Barry contributed to Māori ethical discourse. From his involvement in the creation of guidelines for Māori research ethics to the politicisation of ethical review, from the development of guidelines for genomic research and biobanking with Māori to chairing the Māori Gene Editing Reference Panel for the RSNZ, Barry has been a consistent presence in our journey to develop a bi-cultural approach to ethics. In doing so he set down a solid foundation for understanding the interface of cultural values and ethical principles and exploring the intersection with legal rights in an increasingly research and data-rich environment.