Indigenous Knowledge and Māori Environmental Practices

What is indigenous ontology?

The study of what exists and the nature of being, focusing on understanding reality and relationships.

What are the key components of the UN's definition of indigenous peoples?

Self-identification, historical continuity, strong connections to traditional lands, distinct social systems, languages, cultures, and a determination to transmit identities.

How many indigenous people are there globally?

Approximately 476 million indigenous people from 5000 distinct groups in over 90 countries.

What percentage of the world's biodiversity is claimed to be managed by indigenous peoples?

Indigenous peoples are claimed to be custodians of about 80% of the world's biodiversity.

What does indigenous epistemology recognize?

It recognizes many ways of knowing, including lived experience, oral tradition, and careful observation.

Why is the term 'traditional' considered inadequate for describing indigenous knowledge?

'Traditional' implies that knowledge does not change, which is not accurate for dynamic indigenous practices.

What is the significance of 'Whakapapa' in Māori culture?

It refers to genealogy and emphasizes the interrelationship of native people with nature.

What does 'Mitakuye Oyasin' mean in Sioux and Lakota cultures?

It expresses the belief that all are related—above, on, and below the Earth.

What are some traits of indigenous knowledge?

It is systemic, covers both observable and conceptual knowledge, and includes both rural and urban perspectives.

What does the UN Convention on Biological Diversity recognize about indigenous knowledge?

It acknowledges the importance of indigenous knowledge for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.

What is a common misconception about indigenous knowledge?

That it is primitive, wild, or only spiritual in nature.

What is the relationship between indigenous knowledge and land?

Indigenous knowledge is inherently tied to specific landscapes and biomes where cultural practices and knowledge are maintained.

What is the impact of cognitive imperialism on indigenous education?

It limits thought and fails to liberate human potential among Aboriginal peoples.

What is the role of revitalization in indigenous knowledge?

It is a response to colonization and aims to maintain and transmit knowledge amidst modern challenges.

What does the term 'Hapa' refer to in the context of indigenous knowledge?

It means 'mistake' and highlights the complexities in understanding indigenous practices.

What is a challenge faced by indigenous knowledge systems in modern contexts?

The need to adapt rapidly to changing ecosystems and diseases while maintaining credibility.

What does the term 'empirical content' refer to in the context of indigenous knowledge?

The practical and observable aspects of knowledge that can be scientifically validated.

How does indigenous knowledge differ from Eurocentric knowledge systems?

Indigenous knowledge often emphasizes holistic, interrelated systems rather than compartmentalized disciplines.

What is the significance of maintaining ceremonies in indigenous knowledge transmission?

Ceremonies ensure the accurate transmission of knowledge and authority across generations.

What does the term 'cognitive imperialism' mean?

The imposition of one culture's cognitive frameworks over another, often marginalizing indigenous ways of knowing.

What is the importance of place-based knowledge in indigenous cultures?

It reflects the accumulated understanding of local environments and sustainable resource management.

What is a common approach to indigenous knowledge that is considered problematic?

Treating indigenous knowledge as purely normative or spiritual, ignoring its empirical aspects.

What is the role of oral tradition in indigenous knowledge?

Oral tradition serves as a primary means of knowledge transmission across generations.

What does the term 'intergenerational' imply in the context of indigenous knowledge?

Knowledge that is passed down through generations, emphasizing continuity and connection.

What is the relationship between indigenous knowledge and sustainability?

Indigenous knowledge often includes practices for managing environmental resources sustainably.

What is a key aspect of indigenous knowledge systems according to the UN?

They possess their own concepts of epistemology and scientific validity.

What is the significance of the claim that indigenous peoples manage 80% of the world's biodiversity?

It highlights the crucial role of indigenous practices in conservation, though it lacks empirical support.

What percentage of the world's land surface is traditionally owned or managed by indigenous peoples?

About 35%

What is the significance of indigenous governance and stewardship?

It produces biodiversity outcomes comparable or better than many formally protected areas.

What are the multiple aspects of indigenous knowledge?

Cosmology, data, governance, and management practices.

Define Mātauranga Māori.

The body of knowledge, wisdom, worldview, and epistemologies developed by Māori over generations.

What does 'Mātauranga' mean in Māori?

'Mātau' means to know, and 'ranga' is a suffix similar to 'ship' or 'ology'.

When did Māori arrive in New Zealand according to radiocarbon dating?

Around 1280 AD.

What were the three main movements of Māori ancestors?

From SE Asia to West Polynesia, then to Central-East Polynesia, and finally to Aotearoa.

What is the significance of the Lapita Pottery in Polynesian migration?

It serves as evidence of intentional migrations and cultural connections.

Name one of the six main cultigens introduced by Māori.

Kūmara, Hue, Aute, Taro, Uwhi, or Tī pore.

What is 'Taputapuatea' in the context of Māori culture?

The Pacific equivalent of a marae, serving as a community and religious center.

What is the traditional European story regarding Māori migration to New Zealand?

The 'Orphans of the storm' story, suggesting traditional technology couldn't handle the South Pacific swells.

What distinguishes Māori from other indigenous peoples?

Their unique customs in interacting with the environment and people.

What is a key characteristic of Mātauranga Māori?

It is dynamic, adaptive, and evolves through new experiences and interpretations.

What major event in the 1840s affected Māori population?

The rise of the settler population and the decline of Māori due to musket wars and diseases.

What was the impact of the 1907 Suppression Act on Māori knowledge systems?

It symbolized the active suppression of Māori knowledge in the education system.

What does the Māori renaissance signify?

A period of cultural, political, and language revival centered on land rights, culture, tikanga, and identity.

What educational initiatives arose from the Māori renaissance?

Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa, Kura Tuarua, and Whare Wānanga.

What is the Vision Mātauranga policy?

A policy stating that Mātauranga Māori has a role in New Zealand's science and innovation system.

How many iwi are there approximately in New Zealand?

About 100 iwi.

What does 'mana whenua' refer to?

The authority of Māori over their land and resources.

What is the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi in relation to Mātauranga Māori?

It establishes obligations for incorporating Mātauranga Māori into research and education.

What is the role of scholars like Sir Mason Durie and Linda Tuhiwai Smith in relation to Mātauranga Māori?

They advocate for Indigenous frameworks and Māori-centered research.

What does 'tikanga' refer to in Māori culture?

Values, customs, and protocols.

What is a significant challenge faced by Mātauranga Māori in formal institutions?

It has often been displaced or delegitimized by Western science and Christianity.

What is the importance of linguistic mapping in understanding Polynesian migration?

It helps trace the connections and movements of Polynesian peoples.

What does the term 'kupu' refer to in Māori?

Words that can be traced back to ancestral languages, such as 'taringa' meaning ear.

What is the significance of the term 'Hawaiki'?

It refers to the ancestral homeland in Polynesian culture.

What was the demographic shift in Māori population from the 1840s to the 1980s?

From around 99% Māori to a more balanced 50/50 with non-Māori.

What does Mātauranga Māori mean?

Mātauranga Māori translates to knowledge, understanding, and education.

What is the C19 context of Mātauranga Māori?

It relates to biblical knowledge as discussed by C. Royal in 2009.

What are some alternative terms related to Mātauranga Māori?

Mohiotanga (intuitive knowledge), Māramatanga (wisdom/enlightenment), Wānanga (communal thinking), Tohu (science).

What is the traditional definition of Mātauranga Māori?

It is the knowledge of everything visible and invisible that exists across the universe.

How did Mātauranga Māori evolve in a modern context?

It grew from knowledge brought by Polynesian ancestors and adapted to life in Aotearoa, despite European impacts.

What does the term 'Whakapapa' refer to?

Whakapapa means genealogy or lineage and links all things through genealogical relationships.

How is Whakapapa significant in Māori epistemology?

It is a framework for organizing knowledge through interconnection and is fundamental to Māori ways of knowing.

What does the term 'Te Ao Māori' imply?

It refers to the Māori world view, emphasizing interconnectedness and relationships within knowledge.

What are the four stages of Māori oral traditions according to Prof. Te Maire Tau?

Myth, mytho-history, historical events recorded orally, and history based on written sources.

What are genealogical chants in Māori culture?

They are foundational narratives that recount the origins of humanity and the natural world.

What is the significance of creation traditions in Māori culture?

They explain the origins of life and death, human nature, and the cosmos.

What does 'Te Pō' and 'Te Ao' represent in Māori narratives?

Te Pō represents darkness, while Te Ao represents the world and light.

What does the term 'Kete wānanga' refer to?

It refers to the intellectual tradition of knowledge gathering in Māori culture.

How did Tāne contribute to the acquisition of knowledge?

Tāne ascended to the heavens and acquired three kete (baskets) of wānanga (knowledge).

What challenges does Mātauranga Māori present to the scientific method?

It challenges the perception that the scientific method is the only way to obtain truly objective knowledge.

What is the relationship between Mātauranga Māori and Western science?

Mātauranga Māori contains elements that may not fit within Western science definitions but can relate to it.

What is the impact of European contact on Mātauranga Māori?

European contact brought significant changes and challenges, but also led to the creation of new knowledge.

What does 'Mātauranga Māori' encompass?

It encompasses knowledge that is exclusively Māori in its sources and development.

How does Whakapapa function as a taxonomy?

It organizes, preserves, and transmits knowledge and relationships between generations.

What is the importance of oral traditions in Māori culture?

They serve as records of history, culture, and identity, though they can vary between regions and families.

What does the term 'mytho-history' refer to?

It refers to historical events that were originally recorded orally and blend myth with history.

What role does interrelatedness play in indigenous knowledge?

Interrelatedness is key to understanding knowledge, emphasizing relationships from the knower to knowledge.

What is the significance of the Māori language in preserving Mātauranga Māori?

The Māori language is a crucial fragment that remains and catalyzes a new creative period in Māori history.

What is the cosmological framework of Whakapapa?

It links all entities—people, animals, plants, landforms, stars, ancestors, and phenomena—through genealogy.

What does the term 'tapū' refer to in Māori culture?

Tapū refers to sacredness or restriction, often contrasted with 'noa' (ordinary or free from restriction).

What does 'Te Kore' signify in Māori cosmology?

Te Kore means 'nothing' but holds the potential for everything, representing a state before creation.

What did Tāne acquire when he ascended to the heavens?

Three kete (baskets) of wānanga (knowledge).

What are the names of the three kete of knowledge?

Te kete tuauri, te kete tuatea, and te kete aronui.

In the Ngati Awa version of creation, who are the four key figures?

Tāne (forests), Tangaroa (oceans), Tangotango (darkness), and Wainui (depths of the ocean).

What does the sun, moon, and stars represent in the Ngati Awa creation narrative?

They come from a marriage between the depths of the ocean and the blackness of the heavens.

Who are the wives of Tama-nui-te-rā during summer and winter?

Hine-raumati (Summer Woman) and Hine-takurua (Winter Woman).

What does the term 'whakapapa' refer to in Mātauranga Māori?

The genealogical framework connecting creation to everything that exists.

Who is Hine-ahuone?

The first woman formed by Tāne from the soil of Kurawaka.

What happens to Hine-tītama after she learns about her father?

She leaves to the sunset and becomes Hine-nui-te-pō (Great Woman of the Night).

What is pūrākau?

A traditional form of Māori narrative containing philosophical thought and cultural codes.

How is mātauranga Māori defined by Hikuroa?

The pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of Te Taiao, following a systematic methodology based on evidence.

What is maramataka?

A calendar that divides the Māori year into lunar months, used for scheduling activities.

What does the word 'marama' mean?

Both moon and lunar month.

What role does the maramataka play in Māori culture?

It serves as a predictive tool for scheduling critical activities like fishing and harvesting.

What is the significance of continuous testing in mātauranga Māori?

To ensure knowledge remains valid, reflecting the understanding that change is constant in natural cycles.

What does pūtaiao mean in Māori?

The word for science, referring to the roots of the natural world.

What is the difference between pūrākau and myths?

Pūrākau are not merely stories; they are essential for teaching and intergenerational knowledge transfer.

What does whakapapa bind together?

It binds knowledge, natural world identification, and genealogical connections.

What is the role of oral traditions in Māori culture?

They preserve knowledge across time and adapt to present circumstances.

How did Rongo-Mauī acquire kumara according to the tradition?

He hid it inside himself after being denied by his brother Whanui, leading to kumara babies.