View source for Kaitiakitanga

In the traditional [[Te Ao Maori|Māori worldview]], '''''kaitiakitanga''''' is the concept of [[guardianship]] of the [[natural environment]]. A ''kaitiaki'' is a guardian, and ''kaitiakitanga'' refers to the process and practices of protecting and looking after the environment. The concept and terminology has been increasingly brought into public policy, particularly relating to environmental and resource controls under the [[Resource Management Act 1991|Resource Management Act]].

== Traditional view ==
''Kaitiakitanga'' exists as a responsibility emerging from the traditionally [[holistic]] Māori worldview to ensure that people act in a manner that ensures peace within the environment, one that provides a process for preventing intrusions that cause permanent imbalances{{Vague|date=July 2026}} and guard against environmental damage. In practice, ''kaitiakitanga'' is embedded with ''[[tikanga]]''.<ref name=marsden>Marsden, M., & Henare, T. A. (1992). Kaitiakitanga: A definitive introduction to the holistic world view of the Maori: Unpublished manuscript.</ref>{{Better source needed|date=September 2026|reason=The cite says it is unpublished.}} It is a broad notion that includes the ideas of guardianship, care, and wise management.{{Citation needed|date=September 2026}}

In the traditional view, all Māori trace their ancestry (''[[whakapapa]])'' to the beginning of existence, the single entity that became [[Rangi and Papa|Ranginui and Papatūānuku]]. This genealogy is a bond between humans and the rest of the physical world both "immutable and inseparable".<ref name=marsden />{{Better source needed|date=September 2026|reason=The cite says it is unpublished.}} Papatūānuku is embodied in the physical form of the earth and continues to provide sustenance for all. Accordingly, Māori read more into the interpretation of ''kaitiakitanga'' than just the surface meaning of the words translated into English.{{Citation needed|date=September 2026}}

== Legislation ==
=== Resource Management Act 1991 ===
Under Section 7 of the [[Resource Management Act 1991]] (RMA) all individuals exercising functions and powers in relation to managing the use, development and protection of natural and physical resources are required to "have particular regard" to ''kaitiakitanga'', among other things.<ref name="RMA">[http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1991/0069/latest/DLM230265.html "Resource Management Act 1991"], as at 6 April 2012, Parliamentary Counsel Office</ref> The RMA gave the concept of ''kaitiakitanga'' a statutory definition in section 2(1) as "the exercise of guardianship; and, in relation to a resource, includes the ethic of stewardship based on the nature of the resource itself". However, opposition to this definition and interpretation<ref>Hayes, S. (1996–1999) Defining kaitiakitanga and the Resource Management Act 1991. Auckland University Law Review, 8, 893–899.</ref> resulted in this being amended in the Resource Management Amendment Act 1997 to "the exercise of guardianship by the ''[[tangata whenua]]'' of an area in accordance with ''tikanga'' Māori in relation to natural and physical resources; and includes the ethic of stewardship".<ref name="RMA" /> Despite this definition, it is the ''[[rūnanga]]'' holding ''manawhenua'' tribal authority over a particular area or resource that will be able to determine the characteristics of ''kaitiakitanga'' and how this will be expressed.<ref name="ec">Environment Canterbury (2005). Regional Coastal Environmental Plan for the Canterbury Region. Christchurch, New Zealand: Environment Canterbury.</ref> 

Under the RMA all those exercising power have a mandatory obligation to recognise and make provision for Māori cultural values in all aspects of resource management when preparing and administering regional and district plans,<ref name="hem2004">{{cite thesis |last=Hemmingsen |first=Sarah A. |date=2004 |title=Kaitiakitanga: Maori Values, Uses and Management of the Coast |degree=MA |location= Christchurch |publisher= University of Canterbury }}</ref> which includes the mandated Coastal Policy Statement. There is a requirement within the RMA for at least one New Zealand coastal policy statement to be in effect at all times.<ref name="RMA" />

=== Fisheries Act 1996 ===
The [[Fisheries Act 1996]], Part 9, provides for customary fisheries management, without directly identifying this management as ''kaitiakitanga''.<ref name="fa">{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1996/0088/latest/DLM394192.html |title=Fisheries Act 1996 |access-date=7 November 2021 |publisher=legislation.govt.nz}}</ref> There is the role of ''tāngata tiaki'' who are chosen by tribal groups (''[[iwi]]'' and ''[[hapū]])'' and appointed by the Ministry of Fisheries to act as guardians for a specific area.<ref name="fa" /> ''Tāngata tiaki'' are responsible for issuing permits to catch fish in their area for customary use and must report these catches to the [[Ministry of Fisheries]] so that the following year’s catch limits can be set allowing for customary use beyond the recreational fishing bag limits.<ref name="fa" /> ''Tāngata tiaki''/''kaitiaki'' may decide to develop management plans for the fisheries within their area of responsibility for approval by the local ''tangata whenua''.

== Exercise ''of kaitiakitanga'' ==<!-- Better section header needed not sure what to call this exactly -->

=== ''Taiāpure'' fisheries ===
A ''taiāpure'' (from {{lang|mi|tai}} {{gloss|coast}} + {{lang|mi|āpure}} {{gloss|a patch or circumscribed area}})<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Cassidy |first=Mandy |date=1992 |title=Taiapure – Recognition of Rangatiratanga? |url= https://fileserver-az.core.ac.uk/download/pdf/35462777.pdf |degree=MSc |publisher=Lincoln University |page=20 |access-date=11 May 2026}}</ref> or local fishery is an area of [[estuary|estuarine]] or [[littoral zone|littoral coastal]] waters that has customarily been of special significance to an ''iwi'' or ''hapū'', either as a source of food or for spiritual or cultural reasons.<ref name="fa" /> The purpose of designating a ''taiāpure'' is to recognise ''rangatiratanga'' and fisheries rights secured under Article 2 of the [[Treaty of Waitangi]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2026}} 

A management committee for the ''taiāpure'' is appointed by the Minister of Fisheries, with the members being nominated by ''tangata whenua''. Members may include not only ''tangata whenua'', but also other recreational and commercial fishers and people such as scientists and environmental groups.<ref name="AMTs">{{cite web |title=Area management tools (AMTs) |publisher=Te Tiaki Mahinga Kai |url= https://www.mahingakai.org.nz/resources/what-are-amts/ |access-date=16 May 2026}}</ref> The committee may recommend regulations to be made by the fisheries minister for the conservation and management of the fish, aquatic life, or seaweed in the ''taiāpure'' and to allow the ''taiāpure'' to function according to custom.<ref name="fa" /><ref name="Korowai">Te Korowai o te Tai ō Marokura (2011). Kaikōura Marine Strategy: Sustaining Our Sea.</ref> Regulations can be related to the species that may be taken, the dates, seasons and areas for harvesting them, the sizes and quantity that may be taken, and the fishing methods used.<ref name="fa" /><ref name="Korowai" /><ref name="MPI">{{cite web |title=Managing customary fisheries |url= https://www.mpi.govt.nz/fishing-aquaculture/maori-customary-fishing/managing-customary-fisheries |work=Ministry for Primary Industries |publisher=Fisheries New Zealand |access-date=15 May 2026}}</ref> Commercial, recreational and customary fishing are all allowed, unless restricted by regulations for that ''taiāpure''.<ref name="MPI" /> 

A ''taiāpure'' was established over 90 percent of [[Akaroa Harbour]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crean |first=Mike |date=20 July 2005 |title=Harbour to get Taiapure, Reserve |url=https://www.option4.co.nz/Marine_Protection/akaacrean705.htm |access-date=25 March 2025 |via=option4 |website=[[The Press]] |place=Christchurch, NZ}}</ref> in February 2006, with the other 10 percent to become the [[Akaroa Marine Reserve]] in 2014.<ref name="Young-2014">{{cite news |first=Rachel |last=Young |date=8 June 2014 |title=NZ's newest marine reserve opens at Akaroa |work=[[The Press]] |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/10133273/NZs-newest-marine-reserve-opens-at-Akaroa |accessdate=11 May 2026}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=July 2026}}

=== ''Mātaitai'' reserves ===
A mātaitai reserve (''mātaitai'' means food obtained from the sea or from lakes)<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Williams |first=Herbert W. |author-link=Herbert Williams (bishop) |title='Mātai |dictionary=A Dictionary of the Maori Language |date=1971 |publisher=A. R. Shearer, Government Printer |place=Wellington |edition=7th}}</ref> is an officially recognised traditional fishing ground with which tangata whenua have a special relationship and where they manage the fisheries resources sustainably.<ref name="Env_Guide_tools">{{cite web |title=Kaitiakitanga – Management tools |date=2015 |work=Environment Guide |place=Auckland |publisher=Environment Foundation |url= https://www.environmentguide.org.nz/issues/marine/kaitiakitanga/im:6491d74b-5468-4d98-88d9-9df2673f8a24/ |access-date=15 May 2026}}</ref><ref name="fm">{{cite web |title=South Island Customary Fishing Regulations 1999 |publisher= Ministry of Fisheries |url= http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Maori/SouthIsland/default.htm |access-date=27 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 June 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100604233519/http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Maori/SouthIsland/default.htm }}</ref> Mātaitai reserves may be in lakes or rivers, as well as in estuaries and coastal waters.<ref name="AMTs" /> Commercial fishing is prohibited, unless regulations specifically allow it for a particular reserve.<ref name="Env_Guide_tools" /> The ''tangata whenua'' manage the non-commercial fishing through ''tangata tiaki'' or ''kaitiaki'' whom they appoint.<ref name="fm" /> Normal amateur fishing regulations apply, unless there are bylaws for the reserve.<ref name="MPI" /> The ''tangata tiaki'' or ''kaitiaki'' can recommend bylaws to the Minister of Fisheries. Any bylaws apply to all people fishing in the reserve, although the ''tangata'' tiaki or ''kaitiaki'' can allow fishing outside the terms of the bylaws for the purpose of sustaining the functions of a ''[[marae]]''.<ref name="Env_Guide_tools" /><ref name="fm" /> ''Mātaitai'' reserves are primarily for customary fishing and management, rather than to preserve biodiversity, but they can be set up in a way that meets the criteria for a [[marine protected area]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Type 2 Marine Protected Areas |publisher=Department of Conservation |url= https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/marine/type-2-marine-protected-areas/ |access-date=15 May 2026}}</ref>

=== ''Rāhui'' ===

A ''[[rāhui]]'' is a temporary closure allowed for under Section 186 of the Fisheries Act 1996 and provides for fishing to cease or be restricted in waters of the South Island as part of the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. The purpose of a ''rāhui'' is to improve the size and/or availability of fish stocks, or to recognise their use and management by ''tangata whenua''. Under Section 186b of the Fisheries Act a temporary closure ends by default after two years, unless it is renewed.<ref name="fa" /> A ''rāhui'' can be applied for and emplaced for any particular seasons, months, weeks, days or dates.

==Extinction of moa by Māori==
New Zealand was home to several species of [[moa]] (Dinornithiformes) – large, flightless birds. All moa species became extinct following the arrival of Polynesians in the islands during the 13th century. Their extirpation was one of the final [[megafauna]] extinctions of the [[Late Pleistocene extinctions]].<ref name=Allentoft>{{cite journal
 |  journal = [[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|Proceedings National Academy of Sciences]]
 |title=Extinct New Zealand Megafauna Were Not in Decline Before Human Colonization
 |  last = Allentoft 
 |  first=  Morten
 |  display-authors=et al.
 |  author-link = 
 |  volume = 111  
 |  issue = 13 
 |  year= 2014
 |  doi =  10.1073/pnas.1314972111
 |  issn =	  
 |  pages =  4922-4927
 |  publisher= [[National Academy of Sciences]] 
 |  url= https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1314972111
 |  access-date = 23 September 2026
 }}</ref>

Two potential causes of Late Pleistocene extinctions have been proposed: climate change and human predation. Most of the recent megafauna extinctions occurred after the arrival of humans, but proving cause-and-effect is difficult due to the fact the events happened long in the past. The nature of the extinctions varied between species and locations.<ref name=Allentoft/>

Scientific analysis of moa fossils and habitats indicate that their populations were stable and large prior to the arrival of humans. There is no evidence of a gradual decline in population, as might be caused by climate change.  When Polynesians arrived, the moa population of New Zealand was estimated to be about 9,200 individuals.  Archaeological evidence shows that humans hunted the moa. The moa were extirpated within 100 to 200 years after humans arrived.  The extinction of the moa was the most rapid recorded (as of 2014) human-facilitated megafauna extinction.  For these reasons, human hunting is most likely the only cause of the moa's extinction.<ref name=Allentoft/>

Oral traditions of the Māori indicate that they were cognizant of the extinctions, and that the extinctions influenced Māori society.<ref>{{cite journal
|last =Wehi |first= P.M. |display-authors = et al. | title=Human Perceptions of Megafaunal Extinction Events Revealed by Linguistic Analysis of Indigenous Oral Traditions|journal= Human Ecology |volume= 46 |pages= 461–470 |year=2018|url= https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-018-0004-0 
}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Māori language influence on New Zealand English]]
* [[Religion of Māori people]]
* [[Traditional ecological knowledge]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Māori religion]]
[[Category:Māori words and phrases]]
[[Category:Māori culture]]
[[Category:Māori science]]
[[Category:Environmentalism and religion]]
[[Category:Indigenous peoples and the environment]]
[[Category:Akaroa]]
[[Category:Kaikōura]]