Te Korowai IEK Reclamation

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The Māori moon calendar, or Maramataka, is an ancient knowledge system developed over many millennia though an intimate connection with the environment. Maramataka is a natural timekeeping system that utilises the movement of the moon through any given month or season to determine appropriate times for various customary activities. Although maramataka are not as widely applied in today’s modern times, the knowledge and practices surrounding moon calendars have been preserved in indigenous communities across and Pacific.

Here in Aotearoa maramataka is still applied by indigenous practitioners and it continues to inform interaction with the environment and guide ecosystem management practices. The survival of maramataka throughout time has established it as a recognised instrument for indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) preservation and reclamation. Ngā Tohu is being developed over three case study areas throughout Aotearoa, these whānau groups include Pākirikiri Wānanga based in Tokomaru Bay, Ngātaki Collective in Ngātaki and Ngā Pāpaka in Tauranga. These whānau groups have set the foundation for collective inquiry into maramataka and IEK.