Botany and botanists
Mātai tipu me ngā kaimātai tipu
Hutia te rito o te harakeke, kei hea to kōmako e kō? Kī mai ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao? Māku e kī atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.
If the centre of the flax bush was removed, where would the bellbird sing? If you were to ask me what is the most important thing in the world? I would reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.
In te ao Māori, all species are related through whakapapa or kinship relationships. In Māori creation stories, everything in the universe is related back to Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother. This framework binds us all through whakapapa.
Bound by whakapapa
In te ao Māori, all species are related through whakapapa or kinship relationships. In Māori creation stories, everything in the universe is related back to Ranginui, the sky father and Papatūānuku, the earth mother. This framework binds us all through whakapapa.
Whakapapa provides a way to group species, identifying their relationships to each other and tracing their origins. This knowledge is passed down through generations so it then becomes our responsibility to care for that species and the environment it lives in.
When the first Polynesians arrived in Aotearoa, there were many species of plants they did not have in their homeland. Some did however bear some resemblance to those species found in Pacific regions. One example is the heart-shaped kawakawa plant. Its resemblance to the kava plant found in Pacific islands is likely the reason for the naming of the plant found in Aotearoa.
Kawakawa and Kava plants
When settling in Aotearoa, early Māori found many plants that were similar in appearance to the plants from their Pacific home. The Kava plant found in the polynesian islands was one such plant. They named the species found in Aotearoa, Kawakawa.
Kawakawa, Judi Lapsley Miller/CC BY 4.0. Kavakava, Kristina Adams/CC BY-NC 4.0, sourced from iNaturalistNZ.
The naming of plants is an important process. From a Māori perspective, naming gives the organism mana or power as the naming of species establishes connections with others. When Pākehā arrived in Aotearoa, a new system for identifying and naming plants was introduced. Using Linnean taxonomy, two-part Latin names were attributed to the species. The first part was the genus name or name given to those species with similar characteristics. The second part was unique to that species. In modern times, the naming of species still continues as new species are discovered.
In Aotearoa, scientists are working to respect both systems by utilising, where applicable, names derived from both the Linnean system and mātauranga Māori. For example, in 2011, a new species of Mecodema beetle was discovered in Te Taitokerau (Northland) and scientists asked Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa Chair Haami Piripi to name the beetle. He named it kokoromatua, meaning head of the whānau, hapū or iwi. The full Linnean name of this beetle has been recorded as Mecodema kokoromatua. This naming process is an authentic representation of the unique biodiversity here in Aotearoa.
Nature of science
Iwi Māori have long respected the importance and sacredness of all living things in this world. The connection through whakapapa, genetics and acknowledgement that all living things each possess their respective mana and mauri has been taught and passed through generations.
