"Protecting and Preserving": Mid-Nineteenth Century Māori Views on Forest Conservation in Wairarapa and Tamaki-nui-ā-Rua

Abstract

During the early stages of European colonisation in Wairarapa and Tamaki-nui-ā-Rua, the opinions of Māori individuals and groups on forest conservation, deforestation, and land ownership became increasingly relevant within iwi and hapū. This case study of Wairarapa examines the reasons behind these burgeoning ideologies, profiles these varying opinions, details the development and scope of these ideas, and investigates how they evolved during the mid-nineteenth century. The importance of whakapapa, economic factors, and socio-cultural interactions within these underlying ideas is examined, and the contributions of iwi and hapū to the ultimate development of Aotearoa New Zealand's forest land management policies are considered.