Mātauranga Māori

Giving a definitive translation of mātauranga Māori Play mātauranga Māori Māori knowledge - the body of knowledge originating from Māori ancestors, including the Māori world view and perspectives, Māori creativity and cultural practices Māori | Noun is challenging, as it covers a wide expanse of knowledge and understanding. At its simplest, mātauranga Māori might be described as ‘Māori knowledge’. This body of knowledge, which originates from Māori ancestors, includes Māori world views, values and perspectives, Māori creativity and cultural practices, and recognition of the inter-connectedness of all life forces, those seen and unseen with the human eye.

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, in a mātauranga Māori strategy, described mātauranga Māori as a dynamic and evolving system of knowledge to interpret and explain the world of the tangata whenua Play tangata whenua Local people, hosts, indigenous people - people born of the whenua Māori | Noun .

They also said that mātauranga Māori is a modern term, developed in the 1980s. It first appeared in government policy, became part of the education system and was apparent in Treaty of Waitangi claims.

Te Papa summarised mātauranga Māori as:

• being holistic, encompassing all situations where Māori concepts, values, themes, or perspectives are apparent
• framed by the whakapapa and whanaungatanga Play whanaungatanga Relationship, kinship, sense of family connection - a relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging. It develops as a result of kinship rights and obligations, which also serve to strengthen each member of the kin group. It also extends to others to whom one develops a close familial, friendship or reciprocal relationship Māori | Noun between all things, including oral histories, karakia and waiata
• having various levels within it, with differing processes, requirements or conditions of attainment
• being inclusive of knowledge specific to whānau, hapū Play hapū Pregnant, subtribe Māori | Modifier and iwi
• having grown, and continuing to grow, over time.

Creative New Zealand’s online glossary had this description of mātauranga Māori.

Mātauranga māori literally translated means Māori knowledge. It’s a modern term that broadly includes traditions, values, concepts, philosophies, world views and understandings derived from uniquely Māori cultural points of view. It traverses customary and contemporary systems of knowledge. In everyday situations, Mātauranga māori is an umbrella term that draws on knowledge systems such as whakapapa (genealogy), tikanga Play tikanga Correct procedure, custom, protocol Māori | Noun Māori (Māori protocol), manaaki Play manaaki Support, hospitality, caring for Māori | Noun (hospitality and consideration), taonga tuku iho Māori (treasured arts and heritage).

Experienced librarian Joan Gibbons described using her existing knowledge and experience in education and children’s literature to explore and increase her understanding of mātauranga Māori. 

Exploring Māori knowledge paradigms using picture books | Wintec research archive(external link)

Joan noted that often there were no Māori library staff to support a ‘Māori for Māori’ approach. She accepted it was the responsibility of every professional to equip themselves in order to assist all library users. For her, this meant upskilling to meet the needs of Māori students and staff with their teaching and learning.

The complex nature of mātauranga Māori was again highlighted in an article by Laura Goodall on the Sciblogs website, now archived: ‘In a nutshell, mātauranga Māori can’t be translated or defined in a simple, two-dimensional way: it is multifaceted. There are many aspects to it.’

What is mātauranga Māori? | National Library archive(external link)

Goodall also refers to Rob McGowan’s Waitangi Tribunal report, Ko Aotearoa tēnei. In it, he says, ‘From my understanding, mātauranga Māori not only refers to the knowledge that Māori have, but encompasses the Māori way of knowing – and the connectedness that knowledge has with the environment out of which it was derived.’

Prof Steve Pointing and Dr John Perrott of the Institute for Applied Ecology NZ created a video in which they discuss the importance of recognising Māori indigenous knowledge and values in all research, education and kaitiakitanga.

 Mātauranga Māori: Connecting indigenous knowledge with science | YouTube(external link)

Traditionally whare wānanga Play wānanga To meet and discuss Māori | Verb were houses of learning for the special few, where knowledge of iwi Māori history, tikanga and rituals were learned. Today, Māori universities are also known as whare wānanga. Enrolment is open and a wide variety of topics are taught.

Tertiary education is known as mātauranga matua, and an academic qualification is called a tohu mātauranga.