Māori and the natural environment from an occupational justice perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper posits a broader agenda for occupational science by exploring tribal ideology and practices in relation to the natural environment. Tapuika, a tribe located in the Bay of Plenty, Aotearoa New Zealand, share with other tribes and many other indigenous people, a traditional world-view that is holistic and all encompassing. The Māori world begins with the creation narratives. In traditional Māori thought, the entire universe is personified and both spiritually and physically defined. The progenitors of life, the primeval parents Ranginui (sky) and Papatūānuku (earth), are perceived to be ātua (gods). The spiritual and physical aspects of the natural environment can provide a platform to explore the concept of inclusion and participation from a Māori perspective. The mauri (life force) of this relationship is maintained through everyday occupations. While this suggests a positive engagement with the natural environment, the colonial experience alienated tribal people from their estates. However, recent Treaty Settlements have provided a means for tribes to access ancestral lands, much of which was previously alienated from tribal ownership or control. Tribes also are able to exercise a sense of traditional kaitiakitanga (guardianship) over these lands.