Page Quicklinks

All images courtesy of Centre for Indigenous Psychologies, Massey University

Funded Years: 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23

He taonga kē te ngahere

Research Brief

Māori cultural beliefs, values and practices are intimately connected to te taiao – the natural environment – and are grounded in an inherent understanding of the inter-relativity between humans, the ecosystem, the celestial spheres, and the entire universe. While te taiao is of unique cultural significance, contemporary Māori live in diverse realities, so beliefs, values and behaviours cannot be viewed through a singular lens, and instead are likely to diverge according to whānau, hapū, and iwi, as well as socio-economic status, socio-historical-political issues (e.g., Te Tiriti, tino rangatiratanga), access concerns, intergenerational trauma, systemic bias, well-being, spirituality, traditional practise and rituals, among other factors.

Year One

Year one of He taonga kē te ngahere aligned with the Mobilising for Action theme of Whakamārama | Understanding, by attempting to better understand the diverse perspectives of Māori. Some striking examples of divergence found during this phase included, kaumātua kōrero being future-focussed by highlighting the need to develop solutions to protect ngahere and te taiao, with urgency, for future generations. In contrast, rangatahi kōrero was more socio-political in nature, and focussed on the resolution of issues related to land dispossession, systemic bias and colonisation, as these were considered inhibiting of their agency to engage with ngahere and taiao. Despite these clear divergences, a commonality across the kōrero was that all rōpū had heard of kauri dieback, while very few had heard of myrtle rust. Therefore, the focus for the remaining two years for He taonga kē te ngahere will primarily be on explicating understandings and subsequently raising public awareness, of myrtle rust.

Years Two and Three

The purpose of years two and three will be to better understand the aetiology of myrtle rust from a Western science and Kaupapa Māori perspective; amalgamate the information from both; wānanga with specific rōpū about these understandings; and co-create educational resources based on such understandings that are deemed appropriate for wider dissemination, particularly among Māori. 

Year two will align specifically with the theme of Whakapiri | Engagement, by engaging with existing knowledge holders (i.e., myrtle rust experts, rōpū with established relationships) and existing knowledge systems (i.e., myrtle rust aetiology theories, findings from phase 1 of He taonga kē te ngahere, findings from He taura here ki te taiao [see below ]) to better understand the aetiology of myrtle rust from a Western science perspective and Kaupapa Māori perspective. 

Utilising the knowledge gained in Year two, Year three will align specifically with the theme of Whakamana | Empowerment, by co-designing several initiatives about myrtle rust, and piloting their effectiveness with specific rōpū.

Years Two and Three

The purpose of Years Two and Three were to capture perspectives on myrtle rust, including its aetiology, meaning, and symbolism.

Year Two aligned specifically with the theme of Whakapiri | Engagement, as we took time to kōrero with existing knowledge holders (i.e., myrtle rust experts, rōpū with established relationships) to better understand existing knowledge systems including myrtle rust aetiology theories, findings from phase 1 of He taonga kē te ngahere, and findings from He taura here ki te taiao.

Myrtle rust – A Western Science view

For the first phase of year two we conducted interviews with six myrtle rust experts from Scion (New Zealand Crown Forestry Institute), Plant and Food and Beyond Myrtle Rust who were trained in Western scientific methods.  These in-depth interviews, held at each researcher’s place of work, were conducted over five days and the conversations were captured audio-visually to construct a short video synthesising key ideas and beliefs about what myrtle rust is, what it means and how we should respond.  An easy-to-read brochure <link to brochure, which Marie already has a copy of> was also developed.

Key takeaways points, or what the scientists wanted us to know, include:

• Myrtle rust affects some of our most important native species like pōhutukawa and species like pōhutukawa and potentially mānuka.

• The pathogen is considered an invasive biosecurity threat because it's an introduced organism which doesn't belong here. Many NZ native myrtles have no natural resistance.

• There is currently no national or coordinated plan for either monitoring or controlling the spread of the disease.

• We can't eradicate myrtle rust, but do need to monitor and manage the spread of this disease if we are to have a chance at controlling its impact.

• Scientists are racing to learn about the disease and our susceptible species, but need the help of the public to identify and collect information about its spread around Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Scientists are only able monitor a tiny fraction of the myrtle population, but from what scientists have seen in their research, the severity could be worse than anticipated in areas that aren't actively being monitored.

• Common and abundant exotic plants like lilly pilly, play a significant role in the spread of myrtle rust by harbouring the disease. Controlling these may reduce the impact on our native species.

Myrtle rust – A Te Ao Māori view

For the second phase of year 2, we presented the above brochure and video to three Māori rōpu across Aotearoa. One rōpu were from the Whareponga Valley and live alongside kanuka, and are very concerned about the potential spread of myrtle rust. Another rōpu were kaumātua from ngā hau e wha who all reside in the Horowhenua region and had little understanding of what myrtle rust is. The final group were Māori scholars, academics and practitioners, who had heard of myrtle rust and its potential effects. All rōpu were interested in the perspectives expressed in the brochure and video, but considered them limiting and not inclusive of perspectives that might be best expressed through a te ao Māori lens. Consequently, they suggested such materials were likely not going to be as impactful for Māori who may wish to learn about myrtle rust, as they could be. 

Utilising this knowledge from our three rōpu, in year three we aligned our work with the theme of Whakamana | Empowerment. Through designing several modes of communication that represented the varying viewpoints expressed by our Māori rōpu about myrtle rust, we have designed a short video alongside artist Marcus Winter, that speaks to an alternative understanding of myrtle rust and how it might be viewed by Indigenous peoples, and Māori in particular. We have also designed a poster that combines the perspectives of both our Māori rōpu and our Western scientists, as an overview that inclusively addressing the understandings and concerns of those we spoke to. In doing so, we believe we have generated opportunity for those who engage with the materials, to empower themselves to learn about and understand myrtle rust, through the mode that works best for them.

Research Outcomes

He taonga kē te ngahere has contributed by enhancing understandings about the meaning and value Māori give to te taiao, ngahere and taonga species, and the potential influences of a range of factors including environmental degradation, colonisation and urbanisation. 

Using pūrākau as methodology and method of dissemination, it furthers understanding about the complex and varied relationships that Māori have with the ngahere and taonga species such as kauri and myrtacae.  This heightened understanding provides insight into what is at risk if, for example, myrtle rust continues to spread, and how to mobilise Māori to take action.  Our research illustrates motivators for behaviour may differ according on the cohort, rōpū or even the individual.

Data analysis has been undertaken for the quantitative research in the project examining the value and meaning of te taiao and the ngahere for a diverse sample of Māori throughout Aotearoa. A publication is in its final draft stages and will be submitted to Ecopsychology.

Using pūrākau and wānanga as methodology and method, understandings about the complex and varied relationships that Māori have with the ngahere and taonga species such as kauri and myrtacae, have been explored and further delineated.  We now have a better understanding of what diverse Māori communities think about and feel in relation to te taiao, ngahere and taonga species. 

For Māori, this was emphasised thorough a sense of connectedness and recognising that all species are intimately related to and influenced by each other – what affects one, affects all. Therefore, the traditional principle of interconnectedness remains central to the solution of responding to the protection of taonga species and biodiversity. As a major component of this, wairuatanga must be considered essential to the interconnectedness between te taiao, ngahere, taonga species and human wellbeing. 

Yet, colonisation must be acknowledged for its effect on how contemporary Māori understand te taiao and what is unfolding in contemporary times. Structural colonisation that continues to perpetuate beliefs about te taiao being ‘out there’ and separate from humans creates a separation that filters in social discourses that externalise te taiao and the belief that humans are separate rather than a part of the natural environment. The younger generations of Māori are more likely to speak to the ongoing impacts of colonisation and how this affects their ability to connect more readily to te taiao. In this sense, they are more politically astute and more likely to acknowledge that the above are only able to become manifested when systems and structures of power and privilege are able to be disabled and provide opportunity for Māori ways of being and doing. 

A range of outputs have been achieved through this project over the past three years, including journal articles, story maps, posters, short videos, and sand art. 

See our poster for a summary of the differences and commonalities between Western scientific and te ao Māori perspectives observed throughout the duration of this project.  Importantly, at the heart of the issue, are feelings of care, concern and a desire to respond.  Common across both schools of thought is a sense of responsibility, understanding that humans can and do play a role with respect to biosecurity issues like myrtle rust.

He taura here ki te taiao

Indigenous Māori ontological perspectives speak to the inter-connectivity between all phenomena across time and place and space, and between the tangible and intangible. It is not uncommon for Māori to attribute synchronistic meaning to seemingly unrelated events by suggesting they are tohu (signs) that signal a particular response, solution, direction, or caution to a current issue that requires attention by the perceiver. As such, Māori beliefs imply humans cannot be disentangled from the wider ecosystems they are a part of. When applied to te taiao, the environment, this suggests events occurring in the human realm inevitably impact the well-being of the environment, and events occurring in the environment inevitably impact the collective well-being of humans.

Such ways of thinking can be difficult to reconcile with scientific understandings of reality, which are based on linear time and mechanistic notions that decontextualise and reduce phenomena into their component parts. Consequently, synchronistic events are rarely recognised as legitimate or valuable explanatory frameworks. Yet, the more holistic ways of seeing, being and viewing the world offered by Māori perspectives provide opportunity for looking at phenomena in ways that could provide innovative solutions to some of our most pressing environmental issues, including the biosecurity incursions of kauri dieback and myrtle rust.

The purpose of this project therefore, is to explore the emergence of kauri dieback and myrtle rust from a perspective that aligns with Māori ontology, by mapping the temporo-placial-spatial relationship between the wider socio-historical-political-cultural-spiritual landscape and the discovery and trajectory of both kauri dieback and myrtle rust in Aotearoa New Zealand. Utilising Kaupapa Māori grounded in wairuatanga, it will provide a contextualised holistic understanding of the genesis of kauri dieback and myrtle rust that speaks to notions of inter-relativity of all phenomena and the influence of wider scapes on these two biodiversity issues. 

Project Resources

Story Maps

The project has produced storymaps for each of their rōpū.  A form of digital storytelling, the storymaps have allowed us to convey our rangahau in novel ways and experiment with forms of communication that align more closely with te ao Māori (i.e., visual, oral and purakau (storytelling) methods). Our storymap creation process was a truly collective and whānau-oriented experience with the input of many, including our tamariki!

Click on a Story Map to view.

Poster

Video

Seminar Video

Publications

Apiti, A., Tassell-Matamua, N., Lindsay, N., Erueti, B., Pomare, P., Dell, K., Masters-Awatere, B., Te Rangi, M. (2021). Environmental Changes: Links with Distress in Māori (draft).  To be submitted to Ecopsychology.

Apiti, A., Tassell-Matamua, N., Lindsay, N., Dell, K., Pomare, P., Erueti, B., Masters-Awatere, B., & Te Rangi, M. (2022). Indigenous Māori of Aotearoa (New Zealand): Environmental identity, rather than Māori identity per se, has greatest influence on environmental distress. Ecopsychology, ahead of print. http://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2022.0053

Dell, K., Komene, TM., Tassell-Matamua, N., Pomare, P., & Masters-Awatere, B. (2022). TE ARA O TE MOA: Patua te ngāngara e kai ana i ngā rākau taketake o Aotearoa. MAI Journal, 11(1), 34-39.

Apiti, A., Tassell-Matamua, N., & Moriarty, T. R. (2023). He taonga kē ngā kaumātua: Kaumātua perspectives of te taiao, ngahere and taonga species. Knowledge Cultures, 11(1), 19-33.

Erueti, B., Tassell-Matamua, N., Pomare, P., Masters-Awatere, B., Dell, K., Te Rangi, M., & Lindsay, N. (2023). ‘Pūrākau o te ngahere’: Indigenous Māori interpretations, expressions and connection to taonga species and biosecurity issues. Knowledge Cultures, 1, 34-54.

Matamua, N., Moriarty, T. R., & Tassell-Matamua, N. (2023). Mai i te pū ki te wānanga. Interpreting synchronistic meaning through a wānanga methodology. Knowledge Cultures, 1, 84-97.

Pomare, P., Tassell-Matamua, N., Lindsay, N., Masters-Awatere, B., Dell, K., Erueti, B., & Te Rangi, M. (2023). Te mauri o te kauri me te ngahere: Indigenous knowledge, te taiao (the environment), and well-being. Knowledge Cultures, 1, 55-83.

Apiti A., Durie-Kora, A., Moriarty, T., Matamua, N., Lindsay, N., Tassell-Matamua, N., Dell, K., Pomare, P., & de la Torre Parra, L. (2024). Mauri Hono: A mauri sensory methodology.  Submitted to Methodological Innnovations. (under review)

Theses

Lily Keats-Farr. (2023). He Kākano Ahau: Exploring Everyday Engagement with Rongoā Māori and Well-Being.  Thesis completed in partial fulfilment of a Master of Arts in Psychology, Massey University. 

Reports 

Maikuku, V., Masters‐Awatere. B., & Whaanga, H. (2021).  He taonga kē te ngahere.  Nga pae o te maramatanga summer research internship 20/21 report. Waikato University.

Charlton, R., Masters‐Awatere. B., & Whaanga, H. (2021). He taonga kē te ngahere. Summer research scholarship 20/21 report. Waikato University.

Presentations

Tassell-Matamua, N. A., Lindsey, N., Dell, K., Erueti, B., Pomare, P., Masters-Awatere, B., & Te Rangi, M. (2021, June 30). He taonga kē te ngahere. The forest is an extraordinary treasure. Oral presentation at the Victoria University Centre for Science and Society Wānanga Series, Ōtaki.  

Erueti, B., Tassell-Matamua, N., Pomare, P., Masters-Awatere, B., Dell, K., Te Rangi, M., & Lindsay, N. (2023).  “Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua”:  Learning from our past to inform our future.  Indigenous knowledge and tribal histories to advance human and environmental health.  The Fifth Tohoku Conference on Global Japanese Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan December 9-10, 2023.

Erueti, B., Tassell-Matamua, N., Pomare, P., Masters-Awatere, B., Dell, K., Te Rangi, M., & Lindsay, N. (2023). “Toa Taiao”: Healing and (re)claiming through Indigenous storyscapes. Australian Public Health Conference: Investing in a strong, smart and sustainable public health system for the future (Hybrid Congress), Public Health Australian Association (PHAA), Hobart, Tasmania, September 26- 28, 2023.

Tassell-Matamua, N. (2023, April 14). Being an expert. Who gets to decide? Oral presentation at the Public Communication in Science annual conference. Rotterdam, The Netherlands.