May 27, 2021
Maori view would benefit Antarctic management
A University of Otago academic it’s time to view the future of Antarctica through an indigenous Māori lens.
In an article published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, co-author Priscilla Wehi from the university’s Centre for Sustainability argues management and conservation of the Antarctic should focus on responsibility, rather than rights.
New Zealand is currently re-setting its priorities for Antarctic research, and Associate Professor Priscilla Wehi is also anticipating review of the current international environmental conventions for the ice continent.
She says global conceptions of Antarctica are dominated by colonial narratives, while an Indigenous Māori framework, focussing on relational thinking and connectedness, humans and non-human kin, and drawing on concepts of both reciprocity and responsibility, offers transformational insight into true collective management and conservation.