Indigenous Insights into Animal Life: Focus on Māori Traditions

In the land of New Zealand, also known as Aotearoa, the indigenous Maori people have developed a unique and rich understanding of the natural world, categorising the animals they encountered upon their arrival. This classification system, steeped in Maori culture and tradition, is underpinned by the organising principles of reality in Te Ao Maori – tapu and mana.

The Maori categorisation of animals is vast and encompasses six groupings. Kuri and Kiore, the dog and rat respectively, are the first categories, as they were purposely brought to Aotearoa by the voyaging ancestors of the Maori. Kuri, the dog, is a valued companion and protector, while Kiore, the rat, though less revered, plays an essential role in the Maori ecosystem.

Nga ika a Tangaroa is a category that includes fish such as mako and tohora. On the other hand, Nga manu a Taanemahuta, named after the Maori god of the forest, encompasses various bird species like the piwakawaka (fantail), tuui (bellbird), kereru (wood pigeon), ruuru (morepork), kotare (kingfisher), titi (song thrush), and toroa (albatross).

Maori traditional narratives reinforce the overall structure of the traditional Maori cosmos, explaining the natural world of Aotearoa encountered by Tuupuna Maori. These stories provide insights into the Maori understanding of the balance of cosmic forces (utu) and the relationship between people and the natural world.

Two additional animal categories, Ngarara - te aitanga a Punga and Te aitanga pepeke, are based on Maori whakapapa, or genealogical relationships. The specific animals within these categories have evolved over time as part of the Maori interaction with the environment.

Whakapapa, represented by the double spiral motif called takarangi, works as a Maori alternative to evolutionary theory in biology. Dogs, rats, and humans are considered to be closely related not only in terms of phylogeny but also whakapapa. However, it's worth noting that Maori animal categories sometimes contravene those of science, such as grouping tohora under ika, or fish.

Mana, related to a person's ability to keep the cosmic forces of nga atua in balance, is another important concept in Maori culture. It is deeply intertwined with the understanding of the natural world and the role of animals within it.

This rich and complex system of animal categories, rooted in Maori tradition and whakapapa, continues to be an integral part of the Maori worldview, offering a unique perspective on the natural world of Aotearoa.