Matua Rereata Mākiha

Introduction

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Matua Rereata Mākiha is a maramataka expert and esteemed Māori astronomer, known for his knowledge of ancestral teachings and environmental stewardship within Te Ao Māori. Born in Hokianga, he has studied Social Sciences and Māori Business, bringing a deep understanding of Māori traditions to his work. Rereata has been pivotal in revitalising the maramataka and advocates for its application in environmental management, aligning natural cycles with sustainable practices. With extensive experience as a cultural advisor and a former broadcaster, he continues to lead efforts to integrate Māori knowledge in communities and environmental projects across Aotearoa.

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Matua Rerata’s Wisdom:

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• ‍Integrating mātauranga Māori in biosecurity: Rereata emphasises the importance of utilising mātauranga Māori for freshwater biosecurity, where knowledge of ancestral practices and the maramataka provide precise insights into species behaviour and ecosystem health. He describes traditional ways of managing pests that avoid eradication, instead directing pests toward certain areas to protect essential food sources. This aligns with a Māori perspective that views all species, including pests, as having a purpose in the ecosystem. “Everything has a purpose in the taiao.”

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• ‍Applying maramataka in freshwater pest management: Rereata shares the value of using and understanding the maramataka for freshwater pest management, explaining how it provides accurate timing for environmental actions based on natural cycles. He highlights that the maramataka allows for accurate predictions of species' behaviours and environmental events, “I can tell you when that inanga is going to run, the day, date, time, year out,” illustrating the high level of specificity mātauranga Māori offers, often surpassing scientific estimates.

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• ‍Protecting wai and taonga species: The significance of wai and its interconnectedness with taonga species like tuna is central to Rereata’s view. He highlights that proper management requires understanding the whakapapa of water sources and respecting the ancestral knowledge that preserves their health. He explains that the loss of traditional practices, such as placing tuna in reporepo to maintain their numbers, threatens not only species survival but cultural heritage as well.

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• ‍Empowering rangatahi in kaitiakitanga: Observing the enthusiasm of rangatahi at various wānanga, Rereata feels hopeful about the future of Māori environmental stewardship. He notes that the younger generation is actively learning and practising traditional knowledge and biosecurity methods, showing resilience and commitment to preserving the Māori worldview in environmental management. “We're in good hands… I've got a lot of hope for the future, especially around the way that our rangatahi are picking up. And not just picking the knowledge up, learning it, but actually putting it into practice too. It's pretty awesome.”‍

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• ‍Cultural protocols and respect for taiao: Rereata focuses on the importance of tikanga in protecting taiao. He shares how Māori traditional rules, such as taking only karati (small snapper) to allow spawning fish to reproduce and using every last bit of it, were essential for sustainability. He advocates for retaining tikanga to foster environmental balance, which contrasts with current regulations that prioritise commercial interests. “When the snapper was spawning, you wouldn't touch the ones that were spawning ever. And so we had this practice of getting the karati and there was a tikanga around the karati, that you didn't waste anything. You use the scales, the bones, and everything.”‍

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• ‍Harnessing lunar and tidal rhythms for optimal practices: Rereata shares profound insights into the alignment of natural Taiao cycles with cultural and practical processes, emphasising their significance for Māori approaches to environmental and community activities. He pointed out that Tangaroa Kiokio, 10 days after the full moon, is the most active and productive time to engage in specific tasks. He stresses that success requires a deep understanding of and alignment with the tides. "You need to work with the tides. Those tides are always the same—tai timu, tai whanake, tai pari." Tangaroa Kiokio and the tides offer a natural, repeatable framework that could inform the development of assessment criteria and practical processes. By embedding this knowledge into programme design, initiatives can be both culturally grounded and practically impactful.

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Tauārai - Barriers:

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• ‍Limited respect for Māori knowledge systems: Rereata points out that mainstream biosecurity and conservation efforts often disregard Māori knowledge, treating it as secondary to scientific approaches. He observes that while mātauranga Māori offers exact insights, “science needs to stay on that side,” as its worldview is incompatible with the depth and specificity of Māori knowledge. This tension limits the integration of Māori perspectives into current biosecurity practices.

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• ‍Barriers to independent knowledge systems: He advocates for mātauranga Māori to remain within Māori-led institutions, noting that universities and other external systems lack the appropriate context to uphold and teach Māori knowledge authentically. He stresses that traditional knowledge should “stand alone in our own whare wānanga” to maintain cultural integrity, as external institutions often dilute or misinterpret it.

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• ‍Degradation of ecosystems due to human impact: Human activities have caused significant harm to ecosystems, impacting species that were once abundant. Rereata highlights the example of dwindling tuna populations, which he attributes to environmental degradation and the draining of wetlands. This loss of habitat presents a major barrier to restoring traditional practices and conserving taonga species, exacerbating the challenges of effective pest and ecosystem management. “The biggest pest in the taiao is the humans. And how they destroy”.‍

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• ‍Resistance to Māori self-determination in biosecurity: The lack of agency in decision-making remains a challenge, with Rereata suggesting that some government bodies are resistant to Māori-led solutions and prefer to maintain control. He expresses concern that Māori communities are often viewed with scepticism, leading to restricted access to resources and opportunities to apply mātauranga Māori independently. 

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Matua Rereata Recommends:

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• ‍Integrate mātauranga Māori with biosecurity practices: Enable mātauranga Māori to guide biosecurity efforts by incorporating maramataka insights, tikanga and traditional knowledge into conservation policies. Rereata Mākiha emphasises the importance of aligning activities with Tangaroa Kiokio, 10 days after the full moon, as a key time for action. Integrating this level of detail into biosecurity strategies ensures precise, seasonally informed management that respects ecological cycles. Such practices could include protecting spawning seasons for fish or leveraging the tides to direct pests to designated areas rather than complete eradication. 

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• ‍Empower rangatahi in environmental stewardship: Support youth involvement in biosecurity initiatives through wānanga that reinforce traditional practices and knowledge. Initiatives that offer rangatahi hands-on training in kaitiakitanga will help foster intergenerational knowledge transfer and build resilience in Māori-led biosecurity management.

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• ‍Respect and preserve Māori knowledge autonomy: Establish and support Māori-led learning institutions, like whare wānanga, dedicated to teaching mātauranga Māori independently from mainstream educational frameworks. This will ensure that Māori knowledge systems are upheld authentically and empower Māori communities to lead in environmental stewardship without compromising cultural values.

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• ‍Prioritise place-based ecosystem restoration: Restore and protect traditional habitats such as repo repo (swamps) that are essential for taonga species like tuna. Developing local projects to rehabilitate these areas will help conserve biodiversity, provide a space for pest control aligned with Māori practices, and allow Māori communities to exercise kaitiakitanga in their own ways.

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• ‍Increase cultural competency within DOC: Train DOC staff in Te Ao Māori and mātauranga Māori principles, fostering a mutual understanding that values Māori approaches as complementary to scientific perspectives. This will allow for more collaborative and respectful partnerships, reducing the institutional scepticism that hinders effective joint biosecurity management.

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• ‍Support Māori decision-making authority in environmental management: Strengthen Māori self-determination in biosecurity by creating policies that allow whānau, hapū, and iwi to lead conservation projects. Granting Māori communities greater decision-making authority can help protect culturally significant areas and species and encourage shared stewardship with DOC based on mutual trust and respect.

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In Summary:

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Rereata’s insights focus on the significance of integrating mātauranga Māori, particularly maramataka, into freshwater pest management. His reflections reveal that fostering genuine partnerships with Māori communities requires DOC to support Māori-led knowledge systems and empower kaitiaki in their roles. Moving forward, DOC could deepen collaboration by recognising and resourcing maramataka-informed pest management practices, facilitating independent Māori learning spaces, and prioritising culturally respectful approaches in all freshwater biosecurity efforts.

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Photo © Te Tira Whakamātaki