Mātauranga Māori - the Ūkaipō of knowledge in New Zealand

Mātauranga Māori spans Māori knowledge, culture, values and world view. Pūrākau and maramataka, forms of mātauranga Māori, comprise knowledge generated using methods and techniques developed independently from other knowledge systems.

Mostly ignored or disregarded by the science community because it seemed to be myth and legend, fantastic and implausible, mātauranga Māori includes knowledge generated using techniques consistent with the scientific method, but explained according to a Māori world view. Acknowledging this extends the history of scientific endeavour back to when Māori arrived in Aotearoa and Te Wai Pounamu, many centuries ago.

About the speaker:

Dr Daniel Hikuroa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui) is an Earth System Scientist who integrates mātauranga Māori and science to realise the dreams and aspirations of the communities he works with.

A Senior Lecturer in Māori Studies at the University of Auckland, from 2011 to 2016 Dan was the Research Director at Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence. He is an established world expert on integrating indigenous knowledge and science and has undertaken many projects including co-writing the 2014 State of the Hauraki Gulf Environment Report, geothermal developments, planning river and catchment restorations, co-writing iwi environmental management plans, member of the Independent Review Panel of SeaChange Tai Timu Tai Pari marine spatial planning for the Hauraki Gulf, hazard and vulnerability assessments and industrial waste rehabilitation.

Dan has been spearheading alternative ways of assessing sustainability, including integrating indigenous knowledge and epistemologies into assessment frameworks and decision-support tools.