BRIDGING INDIGENOUS AND ENVIRONEMTNAL SCIENCE: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF MĀTAURANGA MĀORI IN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

M. Martin-Paul, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki & Ngāti Pikiao (Boffa Miskell)

ABSTRACT

The revisions to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management in 2020 (NPS-FM) significantly elevated the emphasis on Te Mana o te Wai, a principle that prioritises the health and well-being of water while acknowledging the responsibilities, authority, and obligations of tangata whenua in the preservation, safeguarding, and sustainability of freshwater resources. Our newly elected government has signaled a potential replacement of the NPS-FM that could lead to a change in policy direction at a national level and could become less protective of freshwater values.

Under the current NPS-FM, regional and local councils are tasked with giving effect to Te Mana o te Wai and adopting diverse and holistic approaches towards decision making regarding the health and well-being of our freshwater systems and habitats. Regardless of whether this holistic approach remains in our national policy or not, we acknowledge that an iwi-led, science-informed approach is beneficial in the protection and enhancement of our freshwater resources and wider natural environments.

Boffa Miskell has been working collaboratively with councils and manawhenua across Aotearoa/New Zealand to identify matters of importance in their catchments and are actively involved in environmental monitoring that uses a process that gives equal consideration to mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge) and contemporary science.

Currently, mahinga kai is one of the four compulsory values of the NPS-FM and councils are tasked with incorporating freshwater values and attributes into their regional freshwater planning. Cultural health monitoring, or mātauranga Māori monitoring programmes, are approaches that councils will look towards to monitor these values and attributes.

To be better positioned to respond to this requirement, Boffa Miskell has funded an internal research project that looks to identify and trial mātauranga Māori based methods for monitoring indicator species of significance to manawhenua and discuss how this both aligns and differs from contemporary methods.

As lead researcher, Mapihi Martin-Paul (Kaiarataki Te Hīhiri– Strategic Advisor Māori) builds on experience, knowledge and lessons learned from undertaking cultural health monitoring on projects such as Ahuriri Lagoon (Environment Canterbury), the Ararira/LII River (Living Water Partnership), Coes Ford (Environment Canterbury), the Arahura River (Department of Conservation) and Kaitōrete Spit (Project Tāwhaki).

Weaving in the expertise of Boffa Miskell’s freshwater ecology team, Mapihi has been further developing a suite of methods and tools for cultural health/environmental monitoring that is strongly driven by mātauranga Māori, and supported by contemporary science, to create a robust methodology that responds appropriately to various landscape typologies and provides value to tangata whenua.

This presentation will discuss the findings of Mapihi’s research project and summarise the considerations and alterations required to ensure future state of the environment monitoring meaningfully considers cultural knowledge and traditions, equally balanced with ecological and social values.