August 28, 2014
Mahinga kai providing food security
A Christchurch-based Maori health lecturer says the Canterbury earthquakes have led people in the region to take a fresh look at the concept of mahinga kai.
Christina McKerchar has just had a paper published in the Global Health Promotion journal which called for policy and practical support for revitalising traditional foods as a way to improve food security for Maori.
She says the records of Ngai Tahu's Waitangi Tribunal claim illustrates a long history of conflict between tangata whenua and local and regional government about the effects of pollution and land use on traditional food gathering sites, especially rivers and harbours.
She says the earthquakes changed public perceptions.
"Within Christchurch they're really thinking hard about things like food forests or getting more maara kai going in our new plan simply because we have had that experience of not being able to rely just on a supermarket," she says.
Christina McKerchar says a positive development is Environment Canterbury's Natural Environment Recovery Programme, which has the goal of restoring and enhancing mahinga kai in greater Christchurch.
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