Abstract
Indigenous peoples’ roles in conservation are important because they
offer alternate perspectives and knowledge centred on the quality of
the human–environment relationship. Here, we present examples of
Māori cultural constructs, mechanisms, legislative warrants and
customary (traditional and contemporary) interventions
fundamental to the development and delivery of biocultural
approaches within NZ’s future conservation system. Biocultural
approaches emphasise greater decision-making for the environment
at the local institutional level, and contribute towards rebuilding a
‘tuakana–teina’ relationship (a reciprocal learning relationship and
responsibility shared between older and younger persons) between
societies and their environments. We further posit that the matching
of social scales with ecological scales within local management is
necessary for the effective implementation of biocultural
approaches. Failure to do so could undermine motivation, action,
energies and confidence of local communities.