Te Whare Māta o Ngā Kīrearea: (Re)storying the Possum

The second, and by far largest, wānanga in our Predator Free series was held at Pipitea Marae in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) in early 2024. Titled Te Whare Māta o ngā Kirearea: (Re)storying the Possum this gathering explored the complex and evolving role of the possum, from taonga to colonial commodity, from pest to a catalyst for Indigenous collaboration.  

The kaupapa for this wānanga was sparked, in part, during our first gathering in Ōtautahi in 2023, when a question shifted our thinking: “If possums are taonga to Aboriginal mob, what might it mean to return the skins?”

This question opened the door to deeper relationships and cultural exchange. By 2024, through our long-held relationship shaped by trust, care, and share visions, this idea became reality. At Pipitea, Māori kaitiaki gifted possum pelts to Aboriginal cloakmakers from southeastern Australia. Representatives of a Mob where possum-skin cloaks hold deep ancestral and spiritual significance, and where their making is an act of honouring and living in tradition.

For many of us, this was a moment of transformation. Māori spoke openly about the emotional and ethical weight of killing animals, especially when those animals are unwanted here but sacred elsewhere. In return, Aboriginal artists showed us how this burden could be turned into beauty, healing, and cultural restoration. The exchange was not just symbolic, it was an act of Indigenous reciprocity, solidarity, and resistance to colonisation.

This wānanga also created space for Māori-led Predator Free initiatives to share their own stories and strategies for managing the possum in Aotearoa. These kōrero pushed us to think about the possum not just as a pest, but as a site of relationship: a species that connects us across oceans, cultures, and generations of environmental trauma and revival. 

This wānanga was widely covered in national media: 

• Read the RNZ coverage here
• Watch a Marae item here (from min 20.40). 
• Read more here
• Watch a news segment here

Te Taiao Speaks Te Reo Māori

To understand mātauranga Māori, Māori knowledge, we must also understand the language it lives in. Te reo Māori, the Māori language, is not just a translation tool, it holds and transmits the worldview and knowledge that shapes Māori relationships with the environment. 

That’s why Te Tira Whakamātaki supported and championed Kura Reo Taiao, the first Māori language immersion experience focused entirely on environmental and pest management language.

Because embedded in our language are the gems of knowledge we need to confront the wickedly complex environmental challenges facing us today.

Why a Kura Reo for Predator Free? 

The language we use to describe mātauranga Māori in the Predator Free space cannot be separated from the knowledge itself. To respect and use mātauranga Māori appropriately, we must also revitalise and strengthen the reo that expresses it.​​​​

Kura Reo Taiao was designed to do just that, create a safe, empowering space for Māori to deepen their use of te reo Māori in environmental and pest management contexts. It was about building confidence, improving fluency, and ensuring that te reo Māori is not only visible, but valued and integrated across the Predator Free 2050 movement. 

Predator Free 2050 recognises te reo Māori as the indigenous language of Aotearoa and one of three national languages recognised in law. In support of its revitalisation, Kura Reo Taiao aimed to equip attendees with the tools, confidence, and cultural grounding to use te reo Māori meaningfully throughout all aspects of the PF2050 movement. 

The First Kura Reo Taiao

Held from 1-5 March 2024 at Waikōhatu Marae, this inaugural Kura Reo Taiao was funded by the Department of Conservation through this programme, with additional sponsorship from the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. It was a relaxed but powerful gathering, a space for Māori to simply be Māori, while immersed in four days of language, connection, and learning about and in the taiao (environment). ​

Interest was overwhelming. When first advertised, we received over 600 unique enquiries, and within just one hour of registration opening, over 400 people submitted expressions of interest. The 150 available spaces filled quickly, due in no small part to the exceptional calibre of our kaiako (teachers), some of the most respected figures in te ao Māori, language revitalisation, celestial navigation, and environmental knowledge. Our kaiako were:

• Papa Rereata Makiha
• Professor Rangi Matamua
• Herea Winitana
• Paulette Tamati-Elliffe
• Tūmai Cassidy
• Hinerapa Rūpaha
• Puke Timoti

Their presence brought immense mana to the event and inspired deep engagement from attendees, who were eager to learn about the environment through the lens of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori.

What difference did it make?

To measure the impact of Kura Reo Taiao, TTW carried out pre- and post-event surveys with the 150 participants who attended. The surveys were designed to assess anticipated outcomes of the Kura Reo Taiao around language use, cultural confidence, and understanding of mātauranga Māori in the context of pest management.

In the pre-event survey, many participants responded with neither agree nor disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree to nearly all of the questions asked, a sign of uncertainty or lack of confidence (black dots in the graph below).

However, the post-event results showed a dramatic shift. To illustrate this, we grouped responses that selected agree or strongly agree and compared them across the two surveys. The graph below, shows there were many more participants agreeing or strongly agreeing with each statement after attending the Kura Reo Taiao (red dots in the graph below). The notable increases included:

• 95% felt comfortable using te reo Māori to talk about the environment in daily life (*up from 50% in the pre survey, a 45% increase)
• 69% understood te reo Māori words, sayings, or phrases related to pest management, trapping or hunting (up from 10% in the pre survey, an increase of 59%)
• 63% felt knowledgeable about the mātauranga Māori surrounding pest control (up from 8% in the pre survey, an increase of 55%)

The results reflect a clear and significant shift, not just in language proficiency, but in participants’ confidence to apply te reo Māori and mātauranga within real-world pest management contexts. 

This kind of measurable, values-aligned impact is exactly what Kura Reo Taiao was designed to achieve, strengthening both cultural identity and system capability in the fight for a Predator Free Aotearoa. 

We also asked respondents to rate how effective the events were at providing the necessary tools to advance their own programming through systemic change, practical applications, and connections.

Encouragingly, and as the graph below shows, many respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the events facilitated these outcomes for them. 

Of particular note, a combined 90% of respondents agreed (19%) or strongly agreed (71%) that the events gave them the tools and knowledge to shift colonial systems to be more responsive to Māori. 

78% agreed (45%) or strongly agreed (33%) that events like the one(s) they attended are essential to the success of initiatives like PF2050. 

To TTW, this is a clear sign that there is a huge appetite for further investment in mātauranga Māori in pest management.

Through a series of interconnected workstreams, including Predator Free Whare Wānanga, the establishment of Predator Free Kāhui, the creation of Predator Free Kura Reo, and research on Māori data sovereignty, this programme has made good strides toward mātauranga Māori in PF2050.

The combined qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the various events highlight a significant increase in participants’ knowledge and motivation to incorporate mātauranga Māori in their pest-management and biodiversity work. 

An impressive 96% of respondents reported an enhanced ability to use mātauranga Māori in their biodiversity efforts, and 92% felt renewed motivation to work towards the PF2050 goals. 

The programme has not only strengthened participants’ knowledge and connections but has also challenged and reshaped their perspectives on pest control and biodiversity, particularly in relation to the cultural significance of species like the possum.

Overall, however, our evidence demonstrates the critical role that mātauranga Māori can play in achieving the goals of PF2050. When this work fosters a more inclusive, informed, and motivated set of individuals to work within the system, it is undeniable that entire country, and future generations, benefit.