Abstract
Destruction of cultural landscapes continues at pace. Even when there are statutory protections in place, development priorities can take precedence. The incremental landscape loss that persists is underlain by readily observable power dynamics and inequities. However, existing hegemonies can be challenged by communities with an emancipatory agenda. The empirical work on which this chapter is based derives from Māori Indigenous community experience in New Zealand's largest city, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. It demonstrates that transformative outcomes in cultural landscape recognition are context-specific, but purposively involve the disruption of power imbalances in governance, and require intercultural transfer of knowledge. The chapter highlights that future research into strategies for Indigenous communities to record their own landscape knowledge and to practice self-determination with regard to landscape stewardship, combined with reconfiguring institutional heritage frameworks, is an urgent need.