The Call of the Kereru: The Question of Customary Use

Abstract

The debate concerning the customary use of indigenous wildlife has recently brought conservation into the arena of race relations and cross-cultural negotiation in New Zealand. Mâori people are reclaiming rights to harvest traditional food sources as part of a current project of cultural revival. Indigenous bird species, which form part of this traditional diet, are legally protected, and as such, a conflict has arisen between Mâori communities and (predominantly European) environmentalists. Effective conservation of indigenous bird populations requires a commitment by both Mâori and Pâkehâ alike to ensure the survival and flourishing of such birds and their habitats. Cooperation in conservation management is unlikely to occur if Mâori people are continually denied access to engage in traditional practices. Customary forms of conservation, within the cultural framework of healthy Mâori communities, can conceivably operate in association with modern conservation management. However, this will only become possible if Mâori people are able to engage in and control the use of their own traditional resources, thereby enhancing such communities and necessitating the conservation of cultural treasures.