What is Mātauranga Māori?
Mātauranga Māori is a term for a body of knowledge that was first brought to Aotearoa by Polynesian ancestors of present day Māori. It grew and changed according to the experience of living in these islands, however it became seriously impacted upon following European arrival and colonisation. Despite colonisation, however, important fragments and portions – notably the Māori language – remain so that it is possible to speak of an unbroken tradition or continuum of Māori knowledge.
As a term, Mātauranga Māori is being used for this body and tradition of knowledge. Mātauranga Māori is therefore an inclusive term encompassing traditional concepts of knowledge and knowing – and including concepts related to the creation of knowledge – that are in a period of rediscovery. Hence, Mātauranga Māori denotes a variety of approaches to knowledge present within Māori knowledge including revealed and experiential knowledge (confer religious knowledge) and scientific knowledge.
Further, it is also important to note that Mātauranga Māori changed in important and significant ways following first arrival here in Aotearoa and later following the arrival of Europeans. For example, when ancestors of modern Māori arrived in Aotearoa they were met by varieties of flora and fauna, climate and geography they had not known or experienced in central Polynesia. Hence, their knowledge needed to grow to account for these new phenomena.
Similarly, when Europeans arrived, mātauranga Māori changed dramatically in response to such things as new technology, languages and worldview. Hence, it is not possible to say that mātauranga Māori today possesses a single worldview or perspective on the world. It is possible to argue that mātauranga Māori is a body of knowledge that reflects a number of worldviews – for example, pre-contact traditional, 19th century colonial and 20th century modern.
Mātauranga Māori is in a state of rediscovery and now attracts the attention of a number of institutions including Māori education institutions such as whare wānanga. Mātauranga Māori is also entering acts of parliament and public policy documents.
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