Traditional Māori horticultural and ethnopedological praxis in the New Zealand landscape

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the application of traditional Māori horticultural and ethnopedological practices in New Zealand whereby an inclusive “whole of landscape” approach known as “ki uta ki tai” – literally from “the source to the oceans” – is applied in a contemporary landscape.Design/methodology/approachA review of the traditional knowledge and practices around Māori horticulture and pedology was undertaken through interviews within Māori communities, including practitioners of this knowledge, and a literature review.FindingsTraditional Māori practices contribute to a cultural management tool known as kaitiakitanga – literally the act of stewardship – which requires practitioners to contribute to the “landscape management” continuum based on a holistic approach reflecting the traditional and contemporary management needs. Examples of cultural praxis applied under these systems include the local knowledge aligned to soil origin, type and manageable characteristics and crop management praxis such as site selection, crop variety selection and rotation, or land and soil amendments.Research limitations/implicationsTraditional Māori knowledge is primarily transmitted orally and retained within the community itself. Through colonisation this knowledge has been marginalised and is now retained by only a few experts across tribal regions. There is considerably more knowledge still held within communities, especially relative to the practical application of kaitiakitanga in the modern world.Practical implicationsThrough political processes of the previous 170 years in New Zealand, Māori horticulturists are now restricted to pockets of lands in a discontinuous landscape over which they have a limited involvement. Urbanisation of the Māori community and ongoing marginalisation of traditional knowledge have further exasperated customary land and resource management approaches. Recent legislation includes reference to some traditional practices; however, there is limited statutory obligation on resource managers to practically apply them.Originality/valueThe specialist traditional knowledge aligned to horticulture and pedology has been relegated to only a few practitioners. None‐the‐less Māori continue to manage their crops with a wider, localised understanding of the landscape and of how decisions are likely to impinge on other sites within their traditional boundaries, drawn from the traditional knowledge of their forebears.