Māpuna for Saturday 5 March 2022

12:13 Maori knowledge and its response to climate change

For the first time indigenous knowledge has been included in a major report on climate change. The latest assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was released this week and the report's authors found that the planet had heated by 1.1 degrees celsius, and would reach 1.5 degrees celsius just after 2030. The authors also placed an emphasis on indigenous communities. So how important is Mātauranga Māori in being able to inform and further develop the climate change response? Associate Professor Sandy Morrison was one of four Māori researchers who contributed to the report. 

Photo: VICTOR de SCHWANBERG/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

12:30 Maori immunologist on Omicron surge 

Auckland health officials are cautiously optimistic that case numbers may have reached a peak in the city, although the number of people in hospital could continue to rise for the next week. The Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC) has provided an update on how Tāmaki Makaurau as a region is managing the Omicron outbreak. Dr Anthony Jordan is the associate chief clinical officer and is one of only two Māori immunologists in Aotearoa.

Photo: 123rf

12:45 Oral maps guide Nic Low through South Island

Author Nic Low writes Low writes about how he reclaimed his ancestral knowledge by walking the ancient pathways across the mountains of Te Waipounamu using oral maps given to him by elders, discovered in archives and a family memoir. It's also the topic of a discussion Nic will be having as a part Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts, available online from the 17th of March to the 3rd of April. 

Photo: AFP