June 05, 2020
Wisdom of the ngahere informs scientific approach
Being born and raised in the middle of the central North Island forest has formed James Doherty’s approach to life.
The Tūhoe kaumātua was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s birthday Honours for services to Māori and conservation, in particular for the contribution he had made to showing how traditional knowledge or mātauranga Māori can be used alongside mainstream science.
He says what he learned growing up in the Tuawhenua area round Ruatāhuna in Te Urewera is another way to understand the environment.
"Māori have been here many, many years more than whites or western science if you want to call it that. We have knowledge of our environment in this country. My focus was about recognising and using the two knowledges for the betterment of our environment and for the coming generations," Mr Doherty says.
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