Abstract:
In a Māori worldview we exist in a kinship-based-relationship with Te Taiao – the Earth, Universe and everything within it. What is described as ‘the universe’ in scientific theory is conceptualised in mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) as ‘process’, constructed around a whakapapa or kinship framework. Thus kinship as practical ontology lies at the very core of Māori thinking, knowledge, identity and practice. What role could such thinking, knowing and being play in contemporary issues facing Oceania? Across New Zealand, many rivers are no longer safe for fishing and swimming, and Kiwis are seriously concerned about declining river health. The ‘bottom line’ regulatory approach of the government's freshwater reforms is anthropocentrically framed, and we argue, flawed. Inspired by and drawing from mātauranga Māori, Te Awaroa is a national movement of Kiwis taking action to care for their waterways. A critical strand of this effort is to reframe the issue from the perspective of the river – what would the river say? What is it saying? We seek to articulate and then empower the voice of the river, and anticipate our findings could make contributions to issues across Oceania where similar kinship-based relationships with the land and sea exist.