Author
Waipaina Awarau-Morris – (Ngāti Porou iwi)
Bioeconomy Science Institute – AgResearch group
Abstract
Indigenous knowledge systems are transforming how we understand ecological management and the ethics of biological control. In Aotearoa New Zealand, mātauranga Māori offers a collective framework grounded in whakapapa (genealogy), kaitiekitanga (guardianship), and mauri ora (vitality). Rather than focusing on dominance over pests, this approach reframes biocontrol as an act of care, responsibility, and ecological restoration.
This paper proposes whakapapa-based biocontrol as an emerging framework where biological control is guided by the ethics of kinship and guardianship. Three significant shifts are highlighted:
- From Control to Care — Biocontrol becomes a practice of restoration guided by whakapapa, reframing ecological decisions through responsibility rather than extraction.
- Hapū-Led Monitoring and Co-Design — Māori and Pacific-led initiatives (e.g., B3-Better Border Biosecurity, Biological Heritage kaupapa and others) demonstrate that community-based surveillance enhances both ecological accuracy and cultural integrity.
- A Global Indigenous Convergence — Across Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa and beyond, indigenous approaches share core values of reciprocity, guardianship, and ethical responsibility. These frameworks are increasingly informing genomic biocontrol, marine protection, and invasive species management internationally.
By integrating Indigenous ethics with scientific approaches, this kaupapa advances culturally grounded, resilient, and ethically responsive models of biocontrol. From the eastern sunrise of Aotearoa to the wider Pacific and global networks, this work argues that every act of biosecurity and biocontrol can become an expression of kaitiekitanga when guided by whakapapa.
keywords
Whakapapa-based biocontrol
mātauranga Māori
Indigenous ethics
B3 research
hapū-led monitoring
Pacific biosecurity
ecological restoration
Highlights
Integrating Indigenous ethics with science to create grounded, resilient biocontrol models.
Indigenous-led initiatives enhances both ecological resilience and cultural integrity.
Shared core values of indigenous approaches and frameworks increasingly inform biosecurity.