Cultural monitoring encompasses a holistic approach that acknowledges the profound spiritual, historical, and cultural connections that Māori have with the environment. In freshwaters, cultural monitoring involves the ongoing observation, assessment, and preservation of significant cultural sites, values, and practices, such as mahinga kai, associated with these waterways.
Cultural monitoring involves the active participation of local iwi/hapū who often utilise scientific tools alongside their mātauranga to monitor waterways. Methods include regular site visits, consultation with local knowledge holders, ecological surveys, and the integration of traditional wisdom into conservation and restoration strategies, ensuring a holistic approach that honours both environmental and cultural values.
The NPS-FM 2020 places particular emphasis on tangata whenua involvement in freshwater management, including the assessment of Māori values and cultural monitoring. Regional councils have a responsibility to include mātauranga Māori-based measures in implementing the NPS-FM.
Meanwhile, more and more iwi/hapū are undertaking cultural monitoring which is facilitating an increasing engagement in freshwater governance and management. Our research aimed to support this process.
Two case studies explored and developed cultural monitoring approaches that can be applied to detect freshwater improvement. These case studies were led by local iwi researchers and tangata tiaki.
The project involves integrating both science and mātauranga Raukawa to inform better practice monitoring methods. The Pokaiwhenua is a tributary of the Waikato River.
The research included a review of science reports outlining the status of tuna/ eel populations and links with waterway health, as well as a review of Raukawa literature outlining historical practice. The reestablishment of a Pā Tuna site on the Pokaiwhenua was initiated as part of a monitoring plan.
The Pā Tuna project monitoring plan draws on Te Ārohirohi a Raukawa (Raukawa’s freshwater assessment tool) which guides kaitiaki on how to conduct fresh water assessment initiatives as aligned with Raukawa tikanga, values and philosophies.
This project aimed to develop a cultural monitoring framework to establish a baseline and detect changes over time in Te Hoiere catchment. The research, and related activities, provide Ngāti Kuia with new tools to monitor freshwater restoration outcomes in the catchment.
The Te Hoiere Project included place-based wānanga to
The resulting Te Kupenga ā Kuia Mauri Assessment and Monitoring Tool is embedded with Ngātikuiatanga. Rather than simply looking at physical changes to the environment, it also considers the cultural and spiritual significance of these changes.
Read the full report here - Te Kupenga ā Kuia Mauri Assessment and Monitoring Tool
As part of this research, Joanne Clapcott and Roland Eveleens have reviewed public reports of cultural monitoring to identify the scientific attributes that support the cultural monitoring frameworks applied to freshwater and estuarine environments in Aotearoa.
Some of the many cultural monitoring frameworks in Aotearoa include:
These frameworks often weave science attributes into mātauranga Māori-based assessments to support culturally based indicators. Supporting science attributes included:
Monitoring was carried out by iwi, hapū, and rūnanga, and consistently followed a process of wider iwi/hapū engagement prior to and following monitoring.