Guest Author • Feb 16, 2017 •
By Duane W. Hamacher, Monash University and Carla Bento Guedes, UNSW One of the greatest feats of human migration in history was the colonisation of the vast Pacific Ocean by Polynesian peoples. They achieved it thanks to their sophisticated knowledge of positional astronomy and celestial navigation. The Disney film Moana has drawn attention to … Read More
Laura Goodall • Aug 18, 2016 •
Letting people harvest New Zealand’s protected wood pigeon can create a win-win outcome for all, says conservationist Len Gillman. Len Gillman For centuries, Māori carefully managed and harvested kererū as an important food source. As kaitiaki (environmental guardians), communities will place a rāhui (temporary ban) on specific animals or plants if numbers get too low, to allow them to recover. This mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge) dates back to well … Read More
Laura Goodall • Jun 09, 2016 •
For astronomy researcher Dr Rangi Matamua, traditional Māori star knowledge and Western science are not enemies but allies. His latest project uses historic star lore to shed light on modern environmental issues – and is also a deeply personal quest that began with a dying grandfather’s wish. Rangi Matamua Rangi Matamua’s path is literally written in the stars. Rangi (Ngai … Read More
Laura Goodall • Apr 29, 2016 •
What has the Māori word for ‘chieftainship’ got to do with a team of scientists looking at obesity in Northland? Answer: the researchers broke the scientific mould by putting the Māori communities — not scientists — in the leading role. Researcher Ricky Bell tells us how they did it. Rangatiratanga is a powerful word. It’s loosely translated to mean chieftainship, authority, leadership. But … Read More
Laura Goodall • Apr 07, 2016 •
Scientific and Indigenous ways of thinking differ in how they view where knowledge comes from. Many experiments strip the environment away from a piece of knowledge to see if it still holds true. Yet indigenous knowledge has deep links to its origins and can become ‘lost in translation’ without context. This is something that scientifically-trained people can struggle to get their head around at first. Kennedy Warne, co-founder of New … Read More
Laura Goodall • Mar 23, 2016 •
Understanding holistically how the world works and our role in it helps us to make sustainable, long-term decisions. Many scientists work in a narrow field of research so need to collaborate across different disciplines to see the big picture. Yet indigenous knowledge is often overlooked. Dr Dan Hikuroa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, Te Arawa) is a specialist in Earth system science and integrating Māori indigenous … Read More
Laura Goodall • Mar 08, 2016 •
A good starting place for better understanding Mātauranga Māori in the scientific world, is to watch an episode or two from Māori TV’s Project Mātauranga. Project Mātauranga is a television series that celebrates Māori innovation in the science sector. There are thirteen episodes that show how Western Science and Māori knowledge systems are combining to provide solutions to problems. Presented by Dr … Read More
Laura Goodall • Feb 27, 2016 •
Tangata Whenua — People of the Land — is the name that Māori call themselves as indigenous New Zealanders, and likely signifies the deep roots they have to this green and blue place of jagged peaks and valleys. The land sustains us. It carries paths to the future as well as ties to the past: whatungarongaro te tangata, toitū te … Read More
Laura Goodall • Feb 26, 2016 •
What is Mātauranga Māori? What does it mean to have and use it? Why is it important in science? In a nutshell, Mātauranga Māori can’t be translated or defined in a simple, two-dimensional way: it is multifaceted. There are many aspects to it. From my understanding, Mātauranga Māori not only refers to the knowledge that Māori have, but encompasses the Māori … Read More
Laura Goodall • Feb 25, 2016 •
Nau mai, haere mai! Welcome! Mātau Taiao is a space for researchers and other people to share their stories about how they connect science and indigenous knowledge – known in New Zealand as Mātauranga Māori. The name Mātau Taiao was created especially for this blog by Jason King at AUT (tēnā rawa atu koe, Jason). He explains its origins … Read More