Tangata Whenua and Kauri Dieback

Tangata Whenua means people of the land (Tangata whenua, n.d.).“Man and plants have a common origin. Māori saw plants as having senior status, Tane created them before mankind, and they were therefore respected as older relatives. They are the link between man and sacred ancestors, Papatūānuka and Ranginui” (Te Rangi Hiroa, 1950). People cannot survive without their land.

Last year, the councils have imposed an rāhui as the result of the kauri dieback. Kauri trees support biological diversity and ecological values in plant and animal species and to our communities and ecosystems. Once upon a time, Māori lived and interacted with the forest on a daily basis. Māori have enormous cultural knowledge (matauranga) about the plants species and the forest. The forest provides Māori with taonga, mana, resources, prosperity, happiness and a spiritual relationship.  As part of my studio project of Arataki, saving Kauri trees and our forests is essential. I proposed the concept of Arataki play park (a forest playground), where visitors can enjoy the adventurous experience in the forest but without befouling Kauri at the same time. People can also gain knowledge of our forests as well as Māori culture. 

The fight to save kauri from kauri dieback involves everyone - government, tangata whenua, regional communities, sporting groups, recreational groups, business and individuals - all working together.

To be able to address the Kauri dieback fact, I need to introduce smart architectural designs to protect the Kauri trees and as well as give Tangata Whenua the chance to enjoy the forest.

Image sourced from Shutterstock.com, 2018

􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰄

􏰧􏰆􏰂􏰏 􏰂􏰏􏰐 􏰘􏰌􏰂􏰏􏰑􏰎 􏰃􏰂􏰋􏰄 􏰂 􏰖􏰈􏰗􏰗􏰈􏰏 􏰈􏰅􏰉􏰁􏰉􏰏􏰨 􏰆􏰂􏰇 􏰈􏰅􏰉 􏰎􏰂􏰚 􏰘􏰌􏰂􏰏􏰑􏰎 􏰂􏰎 􏰃􏰂􏰋􏰉􏰏􏰁 􏰎􏰄􏰏􏰉􏰈􏰅 􏰎􏰑􏰂􏰍􏰎􏰩 􏰠􏰂􏰏􏰄 􏰖􏰅􏰄􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰐 􏰑􏰃􏰄􏰗 􏰣􏰄􏰒􏰈􏰅􏰄 􏰗􏰂􏰏􏰟􏰉􏰏􏰐􏰩 􏰂􏰏􏰐 􏰑􏰃􏰄􏰜 􏰚􏰄􏰅􏰄 􏰑􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰄􏰒􏰈􏰅􏰄 􏰅􏰄􏰎􏰘􏰄􏰖􏰑􏰄􏰐 􏰂􏰎 􏰈􏰌􏰐􏰄􏰅 􏰅􏰄􏰌􏰂􏰑􏰉􏰋􏰄􏰎􏰨 􏰠􏰃􏰄􏰜 􏰂􏰅􏰄 􏰑􏰃􏰄 􏰌􏰉􏰏􏰟 􏰣􏰄􏰑􏰚􏰄􏰄􏰏 􏰗􏰂􏰏 􏰂􏰏􏰐 􏰎􏰂􏰖􏰅􏰄􏰐 􏰂 􏰏 􏰖 􏰄 􏰎 􏰑 􏰈 􏰅 􏰎 􏰩 􏰝 􏰂 􏰘 􏰂 􏰑 􏰍􏰇 􏰂􏰇 􏰏 􏰍 􏰟 􏰍 􏰂 􏰏 􏰐 􏰪 􏰂 􏰏 􏰁 􏰉 􏰏 􏰍 􏰉 􏰫 􏰓 􏰠 􏰄 􏰪 􏰂 􏰏 􏰁 􏰉 􏰬 􏰉 􏰅 􏰈 􏰂 􏰭 􏰮 􏰯 􏰰 􏰔 􏰨