Project lead: Professor Tom Roa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato, Ngāti Apakura), The University of Waikato | Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
This project will document Māori-led responses to climate change through a Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview) lens, focusing on the connection between Māori communities and their ancestral whenua (land).
Through wānanga (digital storytelling workshops) and interviews, the research will explore how Māori of the Waikato-King Country region have addressed in the past and are addressing today the effects of climate change through their deep understandings of traditional knowledge and innovative Māori solutions.
The project is led by Professor Tom Roa, a respected academic and cultural leader, who will oversee the facilitation of wānanga across the Waikato-King Country. The core of the project includes the digital documentation of stories, where participants will share their ancestral connections to the land; their knowledge and experiences related to environmental degradation, and their sustainable practices.
These stories will then be presented at the International Digital Storytelling Conference in Brazil, either online or in person, amplifying Māori perspectives on climate action, as well as Māori approaches and solutions.The project will also feature significant karakia (incantations) and waiata (songs) composed by Professor Tom Roa, which connects significant sites in Waikato to tūpuna (ancestors) and their uri (descendants). The karakia and waiata will play a pivotal role in exploring the connection between cultural heritage, land, and climate resilience.