This work considers the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge, specifically mātauranga Māori, within the current regulatory framework governing the use of animals in research, testing, and teaching (RTT) in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our aim is to identify and evaluate options for increasing such incorporation, given recent policy signals in favour of it, and New Zealand's foundational bicultural commitment established by Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi). The analysis contrasts the RTT regulatory landscape, primarily governed by the Animal Welfare Act 1999, with the more developed integration of mātauranga Māori in human research ethics regulation in Aotearoa New Zealand. We describe the existing RTT structures (Codes of Ethical Conduct, Animal Ethics Committees, National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee, Independent Accredited review) and evaluate the current, often limited, place of mātauranga Māori within them. We suggest a number of options for enhancing integration: Māori-led and bicultural codes, revised national guidance, strengthened consultation/partnership requirements, compositional changes to ethics committees, and enhanced independent review of code-holder operation. By doing this, Aotearoa New Zealand has the potential to offer useful examples integrating Indigenous values into animal research ethics governance globally.