Seed Library: Mahi Māra
Mana Whenua acknowledgement
We acknowledge the whenua that we stand and live upon, which is a privilege granted by Kāi Tahu iwi, the mana whenua which are Kati Huirapa ki Puketeraki and Ōtākou, who also descend from Kāti Mamoe and Waitaha. These are their lands and we are but humble guests.
Mana Whenua have existing interests in kai sovereignty with the establishment of their own māra kai, nurseries and seed exchanges across Ōtākou.
Their transformative actions with regard to kai sovereignty issues a wero, challenge, to us all in re-Indigenising our food systems, kai places and spaces as well as providing for our communities.
MĀORI CONNECTIONS TO WHENUA AND OUR MĀRA
In Roskruge (2009), the author demonstrates Māori connections to whenua, as each hapū and iwi has throughout the motu. This understanding of our relationship with Papatūānuku and other atua Māori, reminds us of the very real dependence on Papatūānuku, Ranginui, Tangaroa and their descendants for our sustenance with regards to māra kai, kai gathering, māhinga kai, and both soil and kai sovereignty. A healthy Papatūānuku means healthy tangata.
Our tūpuna would work really hard throughout the year until reaching Matariki when the harvest was completed and a break was had during a period of celebration, hākari and fun. The various tasks in our māra included preparing the soil, preparing the beds or mounds (if kūmara), and then cultivating our kai (whether in the māra or throughout the rohe at māhinga kai) (Roskruge, 2014). Many hapū would care for their māra plots, sometimes using boundary stones to differentiate whānau plots as well as maintaining warm soils for kai growth into the cooler months just before harvest (Roskruge, 2014).
Roskruge, N. (2009). Hokia ki te whenua; returning to the land: The assessment and utilisation of Māori land in New Zealand: Case studies and crop options. VDM Verlag, Germany.
Roskruge, N. (2014). Rauwaru, the proverbial garden : Ngā-weri, Māori root vegetables, their history and tips on their use. Massey University, Aotearoa
He rauemi pai (Useful resources)
- Te Mahi Māra Hua Parakore: A Māori Food Sovereignty Handbook byCall Number: HocLib: SB453.5 .H88 2015 ; RobLib: 635.048408999442 HUT 2015ISBN: 9780473316532Publication Date: 2015Jessica Hutchings (hua parakore gardener, activist, academic and certified Te Waka Kai Ora grower) explains the political implications of the decisions that we make about growing and eating kai. She encourages us to take control over the food security of our whānau, providing practical advice on how to grow kai in accordance with the kaupapa of hua parakore, inspiring us with stories of hua parakore heroes and reassuring us that becoming a hua parakore gardener is a journey that anyone can embark on.
Te Mahi Oneone Hua Parakore: A Māori Soil Sovereignty and Wellbeing Handbook by Call Number: HocLib: DU465.A35 T4 2020; or, SciLib: S599.75 T4 2020; or, Inv.Campus: 631.4510993 MAH 2020ISBN: 9780473516192Publication Date: 2020Soil health and security are key components of our wellbeing. Even so, soil is faced with many environmental challenges under the current iteration of capitalism. A paradigm shift is needed to encourage care for this resource. In te ao Māori, soil is taonga. It is also whanaunga - it holds ancestral connections and is the root of tūrangawaewae and whakapapa. It is the source of shelter, kai and manaakitanga.Te Mahi Oneone Hua Parakore: A Māori Soil Sovereignty and Wellbeing Handbook shines a light on Māori relationships with soil, as well as the connections between soil and food security, and frames these links within the wider discourse of tino rangatiratanga from a variety of Māori perspectives. Through a range of essays, profiles and recipes, it seeks to promote wellbeing and elevate the mana of the soil by drawing on the hua parakore Māori organics framework as a means for understanding these wide-ranging, diverse and interwoven relationships with soil.
Rauwaru, the proverbial garden : Ngā-weri, Māori root vegetables, their history and tips on their use by Call Number: 635.40993 ROS 2014ISBN: 9780473282196Publication Date: 2014Ngāweri o te māra = Cultivated root crops -- Ngā pātītī = Grasses -- Ngāweri o te nui o Tāne = Roots of the bush and forest -- Ngāweri māheuheu = Weeds as root vegetables -- He nui ngā painga o ngāweri = More uses (food related) -- Beverages.
Māori agriculture : the cultivated food plants of the natives of New Zealand : with some account of native methods of agriculture, its ritual and origin myths by Call Number: HocLib: DU465.A35 BJ43 200 ; CentralLib - Māori Resources: S478.5.A1 BJ43 2005ISBN: 1877385034Publication Date: 2005Describes ancient Māori agricultural techniques, plant species and significant rituals.
Introductory remarks -- General remarks on Maori agriculture -- Agricultural implements -- The sweet potato and its cultivation -- The yam -- The taro (Colocasia antiquorum) -- The gourd -- Cordyline terminalis, and other species -- Miscellaneous note.
Hokia Ki Te Whenua; Returning to the Land by Call Number: HocLib: DU453.L2 R67 2009ISBN: 9783639224030Publication Date: 2009-12-01This thesis produces a distinctive model for the sustainable horticultural development of M ori resources, primarily land. It is inclusive of Māori and indigenous production systems based on their unique body of cultural knowledge. The integration of this knowledge with western science is argued and applied through the model itself. The hypothesis applied is that Māori knowledge relevant to horticulture and pedology or soils can inform and add value to the future development of Māori land resources. The model is built on a unique set of contributing knowledge bases aligned to soils and horticultural management supported by three case studies. The indigenous element, including Māori knowledge, is incorporated into the model using a triadic kosmos/corpus/praxis approach. The ability to apply a cultural approach to land assessment is the key point of difference and the model is discussed from the perspective of its beneficial role for future use by Māori as an indigenous culture. Ultimately the major benefit of this approach will be its' transferability across cultures and landforms and its' ability to respond to dynamic factors as appropriate."
New Zealand Maori Farmers and Soil Health by Call Number: HocLib: S599.75.A1 PF72ISBN: 9783838341927Publication Date: 2010-06-01Soil forms the literal foundation of the agricultural industry. As a bio-physical property as well as social construct, soil quality can be approached, analysed and understood from multiple directions. This study investigates soil quality, how it is described, which key indicators are used, monitoring methods and ways in which soil knowledge is gained through the experiences of 8 Maori pastoral farmers located in the southern South Island of New Zealand.
Maori Gardening : An Archaeological Perspective by Call Number: CenLib: GN799.A4 FZ39; HocLib: Oversize Books GN799.A4 FZ39ISBN: 9780478141221Publication Date: 2006-01-01"The Polynesian ancestors of the Maori, when they settled in aotearoa New Zealand brought with them long-established traditions and techniques for gorwing staple food crops. Within the New Zealand landscape, there is ample evidence of the continuation of those gardening practices, and of the changes and adaptations that were made over time to accommodate local circumstances and environmental conditions. This report describes the nature and location of that garden evidence at a broad regional level. The discussion about different types of Maori garden sites draws on archaeological excavations and research"--P.6.
Articles and Links
- Te Waka Kai OraThe kaitiaki of the Hua Parakore system and the kauheke of the Māori organics scene in Aotearoa.
- Tāhuri Whenua - National Māori Vegetable Growers CollectiveTāhuri Whenua Incorporated Society is a National Māori Vegetable Growers Collective representing Māori interests in the horticulture sector.
- Whakaora ngā Whenua Whāma: Utilising mātauranga Māori and Western science to protect and restore the soil on rural farms in Te Tai Tokerau byPublication Date: 2021Māuranga Māori [Māori knowledge] Before the arrival of the European settlers, Māori society was governed by a system of principles, laws, and customs known as tikanga Māori. The terminology, tikanga, is derived from the word tika that means to be righteous, honest, and just. At the heart of mātauranga Māori is tikanga and both principles conceptualise whakawhanaungatanga (making good kin relationships) and whakapapa (shared ancestry). Through whanaungatanga (kin relations), a Māori world, both visible and invisible, is conceptualised and apprehended as palpable. Conceptually, whakapapa can be understood as the interminable connections from the Atua (Māori gods) to earth to the people. Whakapapa binds Māori people together in a sacred relationship and responsibility to care for each other, the soil, air, and water. Prior to colonisation, mātauranga Māori that included the principles of tika, tikanga Māori, whakawhanaungatanga, whanaungatanga, and whakapapa enabled Māori to live a tika (good, just, decent) life.
Since the beginning of colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand, by the British, kāinga have been damaged by the scientific, calculative, logical discourse. Through the dominant English language and culture, the Māori people have been pressured to obey linguistic conventions which are distinctly Western. In the Whenua Whāma project, the research team has begun to talk deeply of a cultural interface that draws attention to Māori beliefs, interaction, and self-development in the areas of organic and regenerative agriculture across Te Tai Tokerau, Aotearoa. - Knowledge democratization approaches for food systems transformation byPublication Date: 2024Current narrow views of what constitutes evidence have left blind spots in food system decision-making. Yet, alternative ways of facilitating the production and exchange of transdisciplinary knowledge enable key lessons for more equitable and informed policy processes.
- Small-scale Māori horticulture : sustainability and the nexus between introduced crops and traditional lands byPublication Date: 2013Maori horticulture is framed by the introduction of tropical crops to the temperate climes of the base of the Polynesian triangle. So-called traditional plants such as kumara (sweet potato), kamo kamo (squash), karenga (corn) and taewa or riwai (potato) once formed a significant component of the Maori diet. While modern varieties are now repackaged as highly processed ‘fast’ foods, the old heritage varieties are still grown by Maori on small, isolated gardens, often tended by our old people, and valued as flavoursome ‘slow’ foods cloaked in stories. These gardens now feature in both scientific and community development programmes as researchers and Maori landowners seek to expand the options for sustainable land-use and satisfy an array of economic, environmental, social and cultural criteria.
This paper outlines the history of what has been termed ‘ecological imperialism’ as colonial strategies explicitly sought to recast the landscapes of Indigenous peoples. In Aotearoa/New Zealand’s, traditional Maori knowledge is routinely tapped for contemporary insights, sometimes in superficial branding exercises but also with the hope and expectations of greater Maori participation in modern science and technology arenas. The story of Tahuri Whenua (the National Maori Vegetable Growers’ Collective) is presented as a grassroots movement supported by university-based studies that provides the necessary research space for the reassertion of place-based Maori identity.
Videos
- Hua Parakore: A kaupapa Māori pathway for Māori soil and food sovereigntyA webinar on tikanga Hua Parakore, me te mahi māra (gardening). The webinar is presented by Dr. Jessica Hutchings (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Īnia) in 2021.