More than 9 out of 10 Māori people said the health of the natural environment was quite or very important to them, Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa said today.
Data on kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and traditional practices was collected in Te Kupenga 2018, Stats NZ's survey of Māori wellbeing. Almost 8,500 adults (aged 15 years and over) of Māori ethnicity and/or descent answered the survey.
"For many Māori, connecting to where they come from, such as their marae tipuna and the surrounding environment, is central to their wellbeing," labour market and household statistics senior manager Sean Broughton said.
Two-thirds of Māori adults (66 percent) knew their marae tipuna (ancestral marae). Of these, 44 percent had visited in the previous 12 months.
Māori living in rural areas were more likely to have been to their marae tipuna (if known) in the previous 12 months (53 percent), compared with Māori living in urban areas (42 percent). However, a higher proportion (66 percent) of urban Māori who knew their marae tipuna said they would like to have visited more often, compared with those who lived rurally (56 percent).
| Urban | |
| Know marae tipuna | 65.4 |
| Been to Marae tipuna (if known) in the previous 12 months | 42.1 |
| Would like to have been to marae tipuna (if known) more often in the last 12 months | 65.6 |
| 64 | 66.9 |
|---|---|
| 40.2 | 44 |
| 64 | 67.2 |
| Rural | |
| Know marae tipuna | 70.9 |
| Been to Marae tipuna (if known) in the previous 12 months | 52.9 |
| Would like to have been to marae tipuna (if known) more often in the last 12 months | 55.5 |
| 67.5 | 74.3 |
|---|---|
| 49 | 56.8 |
| 52 | 59.1 |
Participation in traditional practices more common among rural Māori
Similar proportions of Māori living in rural and urban settings said the health of the natural environment is quite or very important (93 percent and 92 percent, respectively). However, Māori people living in rural areas (32 percent) were more likely to have taken care of Māori sites of importance, such as urupā and marae, compared with those living in urban areas (22 percent). They were also more likely to have taken part in activities to look after the natural environment, such as restoring waterways, tree planting, pest control, or beach clean-up (46 percent), compared with 28 percent of urban Māori.
When managing traditional resources, a higher proportion of rural Māori gathered traditional Māori food (55 percent) or grew their own fruit and vegetables (71 percent), compared with those in urban areas (37 percent and 55 percent, respectively). Similarly, 22 percent of rural Māori gathered natural materials for use in traditional Māori practices, such as weaving, compared with 15 percent of urban Māori.
| Urban | |
| Care of Māori sites of importance | 22 |
| Care of health of the natural environment | 28.4 |
| Able to speak Te reo Māori very well/well | 6.9 |
| 20.8 | 23.3 |
|---|---|
| 26.8 | 30 |
| 6.1 | 7.7 |
| Rural | |
| Care of Māori sites of importance | 32.1 |
| Care of health of the natural environment | 46.2 |
| Able to speak Te reo Māori very well/well | 10.2 |
| 28.6 | 35.6 |
|---|---|
| 42.2 | 50.2 |
| 8 | 12.4 |
Whānau caring for te taiao (environment) important to culture and language
Whānau involvement in caring for the environment is significantly higher among those living in rural areas. Fifty-two percent of rural Māori who said they participated in looking after the health of the natural environment did so with their whānau, compared with 36 percent of those in urban areas.
"Activities such as visiting marae tipuna, and caring for Māori sites of importance and the natural environment help to connect whānau with their whenua, and may be a vehicle for the transmission of mātauranga Māori and Te reo Māori," Mr Broughton said.
Māori living in rural areas were more likely to have higher levels of Te reo Māori proficiency. Ten percent of rural Māori said they could speak Te reo Māori well or very well, compared with 6.9 percent of urban Māori.
"Kaitiakitanga is not only about the role and responsibility of mana whenua, but also about reaffirming their connection to the environment, to Māori culture and language, and to each other," Mr Broughton said.
