Abstract
This thesis examines the potential for indigenising the Protected Area Land Classifications in Aotearoa New Zealand, through the development and application of biocultural frameworks. The Protected Area Land Classifications, governing conservation management over a third of the country's land mass, have their roots in colonial ideologies that have systemically alienated Māori from their ancestral lands and associations with te taiao/the environment. Protected Areas not only perpetuate historical injustices but also fail to recognise and support the critical role of Indigenous Peoples in improving ecological outcomes.
The examination is undertaken in three parts. The first examines both international and Aotearoa New Zealand approaches to Protected Areas and the role of Indigenous Peoples in their governance and management. This is followed by analysis of the theoretical underpinnings of biocultural approaches and research in conservation and Protected Areas. The second part employs a Kaupapa Māori methodological model, exploring Ngāi Tahu voices and perspectives through lived experiences with Protected Areas. The analysis of these Ngāi Tahu voices, in the third part, reveals the ongoing challenges and entrenched barriers within current Protected Area Land Classifications, which continue to alienate Ngāi Tahu and constrain their ability to exercise their rights and responsibilities. The associated findings highlight potential pathways for transformation, including the integration of Ngāi Tahu cultural concepts, values, and practices into Protected Area governance, creating equitable governance institutions and decision -making arrangements, alongside legislative and policy reform that give effect to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The study contributes to the growing discourse on decolonising conservation and advancing Indigenous rights and interests through novel biocultural frameworks informed by bioindigenous approaches. The research offers insights and recommendations for policymakers and conservation practitioners. It also acknowledges the untapped contribution by mana whenua who seek to build more equitable, culturally responsive, and ecologically beneficial approaches to Protected Areas in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.