Exploring Indigenous Understandings of River Dynamics and River Flows: A Case from New Zealand

Abstract

Indigenous communities are particularly sensitive to the use and development of freshwaters, as they hold distinct perspectives on water which reflect their identity, and their custodial obligations to manage tribal waters. Within New Zealand, Maori (the indigenous people) have, for generations, voiced their concerns about the continual modification of waterways within their tribal territories. Until about the mid-nineteenth century, water quality was at the forefront of issues concerning human manipulation of rivers and streams. A range of new issues then arose that were increasingly concerned with reduced river flows. Of the many techniques developed to address these issues, many rely heavily on professional expertise and objective, scientific philosophies, which often fail to recognize cultural values, and benefit from cultural knowledge. This essay presents examples of the knowledge of streams and rivers held within Maori communities that could benefit contemporary resource management if it can be determined how cultural knowledge and practices and scientific approaches can be communicated and integrated.