Visualising Mātauranga Māori for Iwi Outcomes - Hudson, Maui; Whaanga, Hēmi; Waiti, Jordan; Maxwell, Hohepa; Davis, Kyle; Arahanga, Te Awhina; Proctor, John; Sword, Matt; Ullrich, Thalia; Taitoko, Mike (New Zealand Science Review, 2020)
Ko te Mātauranga Māori he puna nō te katoa, he mea āta whakatipu hoki e ngā whānau, e ngā hapū, e ngā iwi hoki o tēnā, o tēnā o ngā whakareanga maha. He mātauranga nō te hapori, he mea āta whakatō hoki ki roto i ngā wheako o te ia rā, he mea kawe ki te pūrakau, ki te waiata, ki ngā karangahanga whenua, ki te kani, ki te kawa, ki te whakapapa, ki te pūmahara, ki te whakakitenga, ki te matakite, ki te whakaakoranga me te tohu pūtake, hei tirohanga, ka mutu he mea āta ako mā te tirohanga, mā tāngata kē atu rānei o te hapori. Tēnei mea te Mātauranga Māori, he pūnaha whakatipu mōhiohio, he nukurau, he nanakia anō hoki, kua hangā mai ki te mātauranga ā-whānau, ā-hapū, ā-iwi anō hoki. Kei te whakatau tikanga, kei te whakamahere, kei te whakamahi hoki ētahi hunga tangata i te Mātauranga Māori, ka mutu kei tēnā ōna anō whaihuatanga. Ko te aho e whakakotahi nei i ngā rōpū kāwanatanga me ngā kaunihera ā-rohe, ko te whakaaro e hāngai pū ana te mātauranga Māori ki te Māori, he mea whakahāngai hoki, ka mutu he rerekē i tēnā, i tēnā o ngā rohe. Ki tā te nuinga o ngā hunga tangata, ko te whakapakarihia o ō rātou ake māramatanga ki te mātauranga Māori tētahi tino whāinga ā-rautaki, kei reira hoki he āwhina i te ārahi whakataunga, i te whakahaerenga, i te tikanga mātai anō hoki, me te takoha atu ki te nanakia e taea nei e te mātauranga Māori, kia waihangatia mai ai he tatauranga tika mā tēnei whakareanga. He maha ngā kauwaka e kawe atu nei i tēnei mea i te Mātau-ranga Māori. E kōrero nei ngā mana whenua i ō rātou hiahia ki te whakamahinga o ngā taputapu wāhi ā-nuku hei whakakitenga atu i te mātauranga Māori i te taha o te raraunga pūtaiao, kia tautokohia ai ngā whakataunga ki ngā hua ā-taiao nei. I tēnei pepa, ka kōrerohia e mātou ko Takiwa, koia he Geo-spatial Visualisation Tool e whakatakoto nei i te papa whakatū mō Takiwa Lakes, e hāngai nei ki ngā kaupapa wāhi ā-nuku e toru. Kua whai hononga te taputapu ki ētahi kaitiaki, e tika ai te horopaki, ngā kiko, me te whakahaere o te mātauranga Māori i tōna papa whakatū. He tino take ēnei i tēnei wā e aro pū nei ngā ohu tangata kia nui ake te whakamahinga o te mātauranga Māori i ngā whakataunga. Ko te whāinga o ngā hononga kaitiaki ko te whakatinana ake i ngā mahere whakahaere mā roto anō i te whakamatihiko i ngā raraunga me ngā kōrero i ngā mahere, me te whakaatu i ērā i te taha o ngā raraunga pūtaiao. E whakamana nei tēnei papa whakatū i ngā mana whenua mā roto i te whakaatu i ngā tohunga pūtaiao pēnei me te kounga, te nui rānei o te wai (te wāwahi rānei) i roto i te horopaki o te raraunga mātauranga Māori, pēnei anō me ngā whenua hirahira ki te Māori me ngā mahinga kai. Heoi, he take whakatū pihi te whakamahinga o te mātauranga Māori i ētahi wā, nō reira me whai whakaaro ki te whakangungu i te mana, i te tūturu, i te ngākau tapatahi ā-ahurea nei anō hoki o ngā hapori ka whai wāhi mai. Mātauranga Māori is the shared intellectual capital generated by whānau, hapū and iwi over multiple generations. It is community knowledge embedded in lived experience and carried in stories, song, place names, dance, ceremonies, genealogies, memories, visions, prophesies, teachings and original instructions, as learnt through observation and via other community members. Mātauranga Māori is a dynamic, innovative, and generative system of knowledge constituted from mātauranga ā-whānau, mātauranga ā-hapū, and mātauranga ā-iwi. Mātauranga Māori is being defined, framed, and operationalised with varying success by a range of institutions. The general premise is that government agencies and regional councils acknowledge mātauranga Māori as Māori-specific knowledge that is adaptive and regionally distinct. For most institutions, improving their understanding of mātauranga Māori is an im-portant strategic aim that can help guide their decision-making, management, and monitoring procedures as well as contribute to the innovative potential of Māori knowledge in order to create culturally appropriate data for this generation. Mātauranga Māori is transmitted through a number of mediums. Mana whenua are expressing interest in how geospatial tools can visualise mātauranga Māori alongside science data to support decision-making for environmental outcomes. In this paper we discuss Takiwa, a geospatial visualisation tool that provides the platform for Takiwa Lakes, in relation to three geospatial initiatives. This tool has developed kaitiaki layers to provide an appropriate context, content and control of mātauranga Māori within its platform. These are critical factors as agencies focus on increasing the use of mātauranga Māori for decision-making. The aim of the kaitiaki layers is to bring iwi management plans to life by digitising the data and information within the plans and presenting them alongside scientific data. This platform empowers mana whenua by presenting scientific indicators such as water quality and quantity (e.g. allocation) within the context of mātauranga Māori data such as sites of cultural significance and mahinga kai. However, the use of mātauranga Māori can be a sensitive issue and it is important that consideration is given to protecting the cultural authority, cultural authenticity, and cultural integrity of the participating communities.