Whenua Māori: Land, Identity, Kaitiakitanga

Understanding the spiritual and cultural significance of land in te ao Māori Year 13 Social Sciences Te Marautanga o Aotearoa

What is Whenua Māori?

Think about your own connection to place How do you relate to the land around you? What makes a place special or sacred?

Whenua: More Than Just Land

Whenua = land AND placenta Connection through whakapapa (genealogy) Living ancestor, not property Source of mana and identity Spiritual, physical, mental, and whānau wellbeing

Traditional Māori Land Practices

{"left":"Rāhui - temporary restrictions to protect resources\nMahinga kai - traditional food gathering areas\nSeasonal movements following natural cycles","right":"Riparian planting to protect waterways\nControlled burning for forest management\nSustainable harvesting practices"}

Kaitiakitanga in Action

"Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au" "I am the land, the land is me" - Traditional Māori whakataukī

Historical Timeline: Whenua Māori Practices

Case Study Analysis

Work in pairs to examine a local iwi land management project Identify examples of kaitiakitanga in practice Consider cultural and ecological benefits Prepare to share one key insight with the class

Reflection & Moving Forward

How do traditional Māori practices inform modern conservation? What can we learn about sustainable relationships with land? How might kaitiakitanga principles apply to contemporary challenges? Next lesson: Contemporary applications of traditional knowledge