Mātauranga Māori and Design for Biodiversity

Māori have a holistic and interconnected relationship with te ao tūroa, also known as te taiao in some contemporary settings,  which embeds people as part of a wider living system rather than separate from it [1, 2]. Within te ao Māori, humans share whakapapa with land, waterways, mountains, and other species, shaping responsibility,  relationships within the living world, and Māori ways of knowing [3, 4]. Whakapapa ties both the physical and spiritual realms together, solidifying accountability to past, present and future kin [3, 5].  

People are therefore embedded within extended networks of kinship that link social, cultural, and ecological systems. This relationship is entrenched in oral traditions as seen through the term tangata whenua, literally meaning ‘people of the land’ [6]. These perspectives shape how biodiversity is understood, valued, and cared for, and underpin outcomes that are enduring, place-based, and intergenerational.

Harakeke. Photo by Jon Sullivan.

Mātauranga Māori has developed from this human-nature relationship through centuries of place-based occupation in Aotearoa, and continues to evolve [7, 8, 9]. This knowledge system weaves observation, practice, values, and lived experience, forming a rigorous and adaptive way of understanding biodiversity, ecological systems, and human relationships [10]. Given the place-based nature of mātauranga Māori, its expression will align to the local environment in which it is fostered, producing unique insights for the area [11].  Lessons learnt from the past contribute to the mātauranga continuum, intertwining past and present knowledge together. Today, some concepts have altered to suit the modern world in which we exist, as well some mātauranga may be revived, adapted or left to reside in the past [11]. 

Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau o Aotearoa, Rotorua. Photo by Denisbin, 2013.

Mātauranga Māori is critical  to design cities for biodiversity in Aotearoa that situate biodiversity within interconnected cultural, ecological, and social systems [7]. Many contemporary built environment approaches often frame ecological systems primarily in terms of human benefit or technical performance. A te ao Māori perspective is relational and grounded in place, recognising an interrelated system encompassing land, water, climate, people, and other species [12].

Establishing a strong tūāpapa shaped through mātauranga Māori  is essential for biodiversity focused projects. This foundation grounds  project visions, project goals, and design processes in local mātauranga Māori and aligns project intentions with the values and aspirations of local māori communities. Concepts such as whakapapa encourage designers to consider how projects contribute to ecological connectivity, continuity, and responsibility across generations, supporting hua that extend beyond the life of individual projects.

Mātauranga driven case studies 

We have provided a series of architecture and landscape architecture case studies from across Aotearoa that demonstrate projects grounded in mātauranga Māori, driven by or shaped through genuine engagement with mana whenua for stronger biodiversity outcomes. These projects tend to support Indigenous species, reinforce ecological connections, and deliver wider cultural and social benefits. They show how clear cultural and ecological foundations can translate into practical design decisions that realise ngā hua in ways that are meaningful, place-based, and enduring.

[link to case studies: Ngā Mokopuna, Te Wānanga, Otākaro]

Ngā Mokopuna at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University, Wellington. Architects: Tennent and Brown. Photo by Andy Spain, 2024.

Mātauranga as a design for biodiversity strategy

Mātauranga o te taiao, developed through long term observation and practice, provides detailed insights into local species behaviour, habitat relationships, hydrological systems, and landscape dynamics. Some of this mātauranga, and associated practices can be seen as a specific design strategy for biodiversity wellbeing and regeneration. For this reason we include ‘Integrating mātauranga Māori’ as a separate design for biodiversity strategy in this Guide, that could form the basis of discussions with mana whenua and ecologists. The implementation of such a strategy to enhance urban biodiversity will look different across Aotearoa.

Uwhi, Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Te Roopu Raranga Ki Rotorua and LINZ

Supporting mana whenua engagement

Projects led by or partnered with mana whenua  are fundamental to achieving positive social, cultural and ecological outcomes. Meaningful engagement goes beyond consultation and requires building enduring relationships based on trust, reciprocity, and shared responsibility. When mana whenua are involved consistently in a project, their knowledge and priorities can help define what success looks like, identify locally significant taonga and ecosystems while guiding place specific responses that are culturally grounded, ecologically appropriate, and supported over the long term through stewardship and care.

The Waihanga Assessment Tool has been developed to support built environment professionals to reflect on how biodiversity encompassing projects can encourage and support mātauranga Māori and Māori communities, particularly mana whenua and haukāinga. This tool has been developed by Erana Walker as part of the People Cities and Nature Research project, and is informed by the research of Awatere and Harcourt [13], Walker et al. [7, 14], and Wallace et al. [15] and the Kākāno Assessment Tool created for restoration practitioners. It is intended for use by architects, landscape architects, urban designers, planners, developers, and others engaged in design for biodiversity and ecological regeneration.

The Waihanga Assessment Tool focuses on four interconnected areas that support urban ecological health and aspirations of tangata whenua: maramataka, kaitiakitanga, tauutuutu, and whakatipu rawa. 

Maramataka supports understanding of seasonal and cyclical environmental patterns, helping align design, planting, construction, and maintenance with local ecological rhythms. 

Kaitiakitanga frames biodiversity outcomes with intergenerational responsibility further prioritising long term ecological health. 

Tauutuutu emphasises reciprocity, reinforcing expectations that development activities give back to ecosystems through restoration, protection, or enhancement. 

Whakatipu rawa focuses on growing and sustaining resources, encouraging design strategies that increase ecological capacity and resilience over time.

Within each area, indicators can be used to reflect on design processes, relationships, and outcomes. 

The intended outcomes of using the tool include the revival, sharing, and integration of maramataka ā hapū and ā iwi of the takiwā into practice across all environments, including urban spaces. The active participation of mana whenua and haukāinga in shaping project briefs and conceptual foundations encourages the restoration of environmental wellbeing through kaitiakitanga in the built environment, while culturally important species and culturally significant urban sites are protected and revitalised. These processes strengthen and renew mātauranga ā hapū in urban contexts, enabling positive human–nature interactions through built environment design. Collectively, this contributes to urban environments that support the living world, people as part of that, and local mātauranga, fostering strong relationships between Māori and the wider community. 

Glossary

Please note that these are very basic translations that do not necessarily convey the full or original meanings of all of these terms. We encourage readers to explore the range of Māori dictionaries to understand the breadth of meaning associated with the terms in this glossary. 

Te Reo Māori terms	English basic translation
Hapū	Sub-tribe
Iwi	Tribe
Kaitiakitanga	Active, ongoing stewardship of land and ecosystems by mana whenua, grounded in responsibility to future generations
Mātauranga	Knowledge
Mana whenua/haukainga	Local tribe holds territorial rights to region
Maramataka	Seasonal and lunar based knowledge systems that guide activities in relation to environmental cycles and local ecological conditions
Mātauranga ā-hapū	Knowledge of subtribe
Mātauranga ā-iwi	Knowledge of wider tribe
Ngā hua	Outcomes
Takiwā	Region
Taonga	Treasure
Tāuutuutu	Reciprocity and balance, recognising that taking from ecosystems carries obligations to restore, protect, or enhance them
Te ao Māori	Māori world
Te taiao	The natural environment, understood as an interconnected living system that includes people, land, water, climate, and other species
Tohu	Sign, symbolism
Tūāpapa	Foundation
Whakapapa	The relational framework that connects people, species, landscapes, and ecosystems across time, supporting a long-term view of ecological responsibility
Whakatipu rawa	The growing and sustaining of resources over time, supporting biodiversity abundance, resilience, and renewal

Acknowledgements:

This section was written by Dr Erana Walker (Te Parawhau, Ngāti Ruamahue, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngai Te Rangi) from the University of Waikato. We would like to sincerely thank Professor Amanda Yates (Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Rongowhakaata) and an anonymous reviewer, both from Auckland University of Technology, and Dr Rachel Nepia from the  University of Waikato  for their insightful feedback on earlier drafts of this section.

References:

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