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Hahahaha thank you for your comment and insight! I am so incredibly grateful to be connecting with people who make me confident that we can do better. That the old ways will balance out the negative side of these new ways. I didn't expect much posting these videos but to hear from people like you makes it all worth it. Thank you again <3

Much Respect

Respect is important. The Māori world view, Te ao Māori, emphasizes the importance of relationships between nature and people. I have discovered my spiritual connection to nature thanks to it. I encourage you to see it as a light that can guide us amid the ecological crisis unfolding before us. The UN also supports the importance of uplifting Indigenous Peoples. Here’s a quote from an article (link below): “Indigenous Peoples’ contributions are essential in designing and implementing solutions for ecosystems. Traditional knowledge and heritage can contribute to environmental assessments and sustainable ecosystem management.” www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/indigenous-peoples-and-nature-they-protect

Really appreciate that

Thanks so much for the support

Thanks for the input

Thanks for dropping a comment! You know, I read in a very interesting book called “Plant Sapiens” that we as humans suffer from something known as “plant blindness.” Before coming to New Zealand, I had no idea what plant species were non-native to my home in Virginia. It wasn’t until I learned (thanks to NZ’s amazing DOC) that many common plants like apples are not native to the land in North America. I really recommend the book if you’re interested in learning more about our plant brethren!

@@SamuelSpad interesting I will check it out. Thx for the recommendation

Thank you for your comment. I need to remind myself of this sometimes.

@@SamuelSpad I am a New Zealander have lived in many parts of the North Island. Have tramped many parts of the North Island. Rotorua we had an acre of land with huge trees pines and English oaks. Noticing the Native birds, we planted a lot of Native trees; drawing the birds in. To wake up to morning chorus each morning was something I will never forget.

The Māori, like all Homo sapiens, are imperfect beings. However, their worldview, Te ao Māori, views the land and nature not as a resource to be extracted or exploited, but rather as a living being that we must form relationship with based on reciprocity. Settler colonialism does not operate under this framework. It would be misguided to minimize an entire culture based on one mistake (the extinction of the moa is tragic nevertheless). Settler colonialism however, was repeated numerous times. I encourage you to think more holistically.

No-one mentions the Buffalo....that don't exist anymore because they were mass hunted not by native peoples and not for food, in fact there are pictures, on the internet of piles of their bodies left in the open...and if you tell me the Buffalo that now exist are the same that once roamed the plains of that land, then you need to research...you know nothing about Maori

I love this bit of wisdom. Thank you for sharing

Thank you for the information

Thank you for bringing that up. You should check out this article, i’ve attached some highlights below: e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/are-maori-indigenous-thats-not-the-real-question/

“And while it is true that (New Zealand) Māori people “became Māori” on arrival in our home islands (as people have rightly argued for years), and that this is an aspect of how we understand our specificity, being Indigenous doesn’t hinge on whether people are like an endemic species of plant or bird that only appears in one habitat. If anything, it hinges on a relationship of place and time: Who was where when the colonial project showed up? … Arguing that Māori aren’t Indigenous is logical if you’re trying to appeal to voters who are concerned that Māori shouldn’t receive “special” and “unfair” treatment. Shorter life expectancy isn’t what I’d describe as special, but there you go. There is, of course, a longstanding obsession on the part of some non-Māori about how unfairly good the treatment of Māori people is in our country. In his short BWB text, Māori historian Peter Meihana has done the work if you want to know more about how assumptions of Māori being privileged is not a recent glitch in the system but part of its design from the start. … When we focus on arguing about whether or not we’re Indigenous, we risk not addressing why this is even being questioned, which is to suggest that there’s a sneaky or unfair way that Māori people are getting something that we shouldn’t. (That it isn’t ours. That it belongs to someone else - or should do.) Challenging the idea that we’re Indigenous is a deliberate strategy to reassure certain voters that there are people willing to stand in our parliament and advocate for the deliberate undermining of whatever gains have been made by the blood, sweat, tears and ink of generations. It’s to suggest to the electorate that removing small crumbs that fall from a loaf of bread - a loaf of bread baked in a kitchen that’s been systematically removed from our control - is a heroic, just and fair thing to do.” (Alice Te Punga Somerville)

Hi, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it's really important to approach discussions about cultures with respect and an open mind. Māori culture holds deep significance for many people, including myself. Understanding and appreciating diverse perspectives enriches us all. I hope you can see the importance in engaging in conversations that promote understanding and respect.

I'm good - thanks

Looks like I need to find myself a kaiako!

You may have heard of her, but I recommend checking out Robin Wall Kimmerer. Her literature on combing indigenous wisdom with her background in botany is so moving. Thank you for your comment. Let's keep learning together :)

Wish that were the case historically

Hi, I value your feedback. As someone who comes from a position of privilege, I find it very difficult to navigate how to support and uplift other cultures, with dignity and respect. I have strived to do this in my personal reflection to my greatest ability. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the cultures of indigenous peoples. I find it troubling that we do not speak about them enough. In the US, I was raised to believe that the peoples of Turtle Island were all extinct. That nothing of their cultures remained. This simply is not true. And I refuse to be complicit anymore in the erasure of cultures as rich, beautiful and meaningful as I’ve seen in the cultures of earth based societies such as that of the Māori. So I’m speaking out, but thank you for your correction.

@@SamuelSpad Nga mihi nui. I knew you most likely had good intentions. But my inner Aunty felt the need to turn this into a teachable moment. It is a very hard space to navigate for both sides.