Indigenous knowledge for natural resource management: a comparative study of Māori in New Zealand and Dusun in Brunei Darussalam

Abstract

Indigenous people often exclusively depend on the natural resources available within the ecosystems where they live, and commonly manage their resources sustainably. They have developed, and continue to develop indigenous knowledge systems which encompass sustainable management of natural resources. This study compares indigenous knowledge of natural resource management developed by two different communities in two different environments—Maori in the temperate environment in New Zealand and Dusun in the tropical environment in Brunei Darussalam, and comparatively evaluates the role of indigenous knowledge in sustainable resource management in three categories of knowledge such as spatial and seasonal distribution of natural resources, sustainable harvesting, and habitat management. The comparison reveals that despite the differences in environment and the great geographical distance between the two communities, there are remarkable similarities between the two knowledge systems in concepts, principles, strategies and technologies used in natural resource management.