PARENT SESSION
Oral Session 17: Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
Presiding: E Sulzman
Monday, August 2, 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Meeting Room F 151.
Does traditional ecological knowledge persist as species decline? Mâori and tuatara of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Ramstad, Kristina*,1, Nelson, N2, Daugherty, C2, Allendorf, Fred1, 1 University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA2 Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
ABSTRACT- Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can be highly informative and can complement scientific knowledge. Integrating both types of information has increased understanding and improved management of species. This has been especially true for abundant species that interact frequently with the indigenous peoples of their native range (e.g., through harvest). Isolated or declining species have been the subject of such studies less frequently. We report such a case study here, that of Mâori TEK of tuatara, the last representatives of the reptilian Order Sphenodontia. Mâori are indigenous to Aotearoa (New Zealand) having settled it 700 to 1000 years ago. Tuatara are endemic to Aotearoa, have been declining in numbers since human settlement, and are now restricted to a few offshore islands. Though Mâori regard tuatara as a taonga (treasure), few living Mâori have had personal experience with tuatara and the relationship between the two has been characterized as distant. To investigate this, we collaborated with the people of Te Atiawa and Ngati Koata, the kaitiaki or guardians of several islands currently inhabited by tuatara. Semi-directed interviews of their kaumtâua (elders) reveal the kaumâtua do possess TEK of tuatara. However, the detail and volume of this information is less than that recorded in similar studies where the species of interest is recently more abundant or accessible. This study illustrates that some TEK can persist as species decline and could serve as an invaluable source of ecological information of rare, endangered, and perhaps even extinct species.
Key words: tuatara, New Zealand, TEK, Māori