Meaning in Context
A sensory ethnography while in the ngahere/forest
Immersion in Nature
Spending time in natural environments has a powerful influence on how we feel about ourselves and about the wider environment.
Immersion in nature can do amazing things for our health , such as lowering blood pressure, enhancing immune system functioning, reducing anxiety, enhancing self esteem, invoking a sense of calm and improving one's mood.
Recent research has indicated that immersing oneself in nature for just two hours a week can promote optimal well-being. And, those two hours need not be all at once! A simple accumulation of 120 minutes over the course of any given week can induce the same effect!
This suggests nature is not only beautiful, but it also seems to be an essential component of holistic well-being. Therefore, to lose any part of the natural environment, will inevitably have an impact on our well-being.
Among the most pressing environmental concerns facing Aotearoa are biosecurity threats to the well-being of kauri and myrtaceae trees.
The BioHeritage National Science Challenge, Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho, is leading a program known as Ngā Rākau Taketake, Saving our Iconic Trees.
Part of this program, the Mobilising for Action theme focusses on better understanding the role humans can and do play in the well-being of taonga species and the wider environment.
He taonga kē te ngahere
(The forest is an extraordinary treasure)
Every part of nature is connected to every other part Image Credit: Hamish Lindsay
...is about better understanding the meaning and value Māori give to te taiao (environment), ngahere (forest), and taonga (treasured) species.
Māori beliefs, values and practices are intimately connected to te taiao – the natural environment.
They are grounded in an inherent understanding of the inter-relativity between humans, the wider ecosystem, the celestial spheres, and the entire universe.
Māori are diverse, so beliefs, values and behaviours must take account of whānau, hapū, and iwi differences, as well as a range of other factors.
Funded by the Mobilising for Action theme, He taonga kē te ngahere provides an Indigenous Māori psychological perspective, which acknowledges the relevance of Māori worldviews, to the environmental space in Aotearoa.
Meaning in context
One way to find out about the value and meaning people give to the ngahere, is to go along and experience it with them while they are in the ngahere!
This form of experiential documentation is known as SENSORY ETHNOGRAPHY.
Our rōpū (group) ready to set off on our seven hour hīkoi through the ngahere Image Credit: Centre for Indigenous Psychologies
Who we are
This storymap documents a 7-hour moderate grade hīkoi (walk) the Centre for Indigenous Psychologies took into the ngahere with a group of emerging Māori scholars. Our group were both males and females, ranging in age from 21 years through to 48 years. We all either worked or studied at Massey University in Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Most of us self-identified as Indigenous Māori, and we had a Pākehā and also a Russian colleague join us. Although not involved in 'official' forms of biosecurity and/or environmental protection, most of our rōpū (group) regularly engaged in ngahere, for recreational, well-being, and sustainability purposes.
Where we went
We walked along the Sledge Track , in the heart of the scenic Kahuterawa Valley, near Palmerston North in Aotearoa New Zealand. With a distance of 10.9 kilometres, the Sledge Track meanders its way through regenerating native bush, alongside the gently flowing Kahuterawa Stream, waterfalls, and beautiful rock formations.
It then takes a turn away from the Stream, up a relatively steep 1.5 kilometre climb, before reaching Toetoe Junction. From there, the track links to a number of old platinum mines, before looping around to return down to the valley floor and back along the Kahuterawa Stream.
The approximate route of our hīkoi along the Sledge Track
Watch Te Rā recite karakia before we head off on our hīkoi
What we did
For seven hours, we walked and talked and sensed and felt! But, before setting off on our hīkoi, we gathered for two karakia (incantations). The first, known as waerea, was intended to remove any obstructions that could negatively affect those present. The second threaded together the energies of the earth and the sky and acknowledged the mauri (life-force) of the environment and the people.
Setting off on our hīkoi together
Throughout our journey, we took time to consciously observe how we were thinking and feeling, and documented those thoughts, emotions, conversations and silences via video, audio and still photography.
Continue reading to learn more about the three key themes that emerged from the documentation of our sensory ethnography.
Sensory ethnography
INFLUENCE ON HAUORA
Being immersed in the ngahere impacted hauora (well-being). During the hīkoi we documented our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual sensations and how these changed over the course of the seven hours. Scroll through the images below to learn more.
A remedy for the mind
The positive impact of the ngahere on our mental and emotional state was evident almost immediately.
I just feel more content and relaxed out here
It temporarily alleviated concerns and worries.
It makes me feel at peace and happy and like I don't have to worry about life's problems at the moment
A sense of mental clarity was also expressed.
My mind is kind of clear now
As was a sense of mental rejuvenation.
Just refreshed. I feel good about myself
Awareness of body
Although a panacea for the mind, navigating the terrain was physically challenging at times.
I'm so sore and tired
The physicality enabled reflection on the capabilities of the body.
That was cool...knowing what my body is actually capable of doing
It also incited reflection on the mind-body connection.
For me, it was sort of just like a physically and mentally challenging experience
Spirituality
A sense of wairuatanga (spirituality) was explicitly heightened for some of us.
Spiritually, it makes me feel fulfilled and peaceful but also, I guess connected to Papatūānuku.
For others, spiritually was felt more subconsciously.
I think subconsciously, it makes me feel really good spiritually
For a few, spirituality did not feature at all.
I don't feel like I've felt any different spiritually
Familiarity
When immersed in the ngahere, there was an intangible yet comforting sense of familiarity.
I don't know, like it's all kind of familiar and I don't have to worry about much
This was likened to the familiarity felt when meeting a close other.
You know when you go back to a familiar person and you're like, "oh I've missed you", but I didn't realise I had I missed you
As well as being likened to a relative.
I'll see a tree and I'll legitimately think about it as my cousin
It facilitated pleasant emotions for many of us.
At peace and happy and everything is just, I guess, so familiar
A SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS
Throughout the journey, we noted how our sense of connection to te taiao, ngahere, but also unseen beings was strengthened for many of us. Scroll through the images below to learn more.
Connection to ngahere
Awareness of connection to te taiao strengthened for many of us as we immersed ourselves in the ngahere.
It's an important connection for me personally
This created a conscious desire to immerse ourselves in the ngahere more often.
Made me realise I would like to make it a more regular thing for a number of reasons, including how it makes me feel
This desire appeared to come from a conscious need to connect with something greater than oneself.
I feel like it is important to feel connected to something that's other than just people or things
Connection to other spaces
We also became aware that not all of us felt connected to the ngahere, despite being immersed in it.
I feel like I don't have a connection to the ngahere
Some were more conscious of their connection to built environments.
I wouldn't say I have a strong connection because I spend most of my time indoors, studying or working on my laptop
Some were more connected to other spaces in te taiao.
Probably my strongest connection is to water
Connection to ancestors
Awareness of a felt closeness to ancestors become very evident for many while in the ngahere.
It makes me think of my ancestors - their stories and stuff
Feelings of nostalgia based on perceptions of possible pasts were evoked.
Just having a feel of how everyday life looked like for our ancestors and just how I guess pleasant everything was
Which also facilitated feelings of pride in those we descend from.
I think I've got a lot more respect for my ancestors now than I did before
IGNITING OBLIGATION
The heightened sense of connection through immersion in the ngahere, ignited a sense of obligation to and responsibility for the ngahere and te taiao in general. Scroll through the images below to learn more.
Recognition of inter-relativity
The relationships between all things in the cosmos were acknowledged the deeper we went into the ngahere.
I feel more interconnected. Like I know it depends on me not to mess it up and I depend on it to breathe
This ignited a sense of responsibility to care for te taiao.
Because we're all connected you know. Like the land gives us life and we need to do our part to give back to the land; and, it's a responsibility for everyone
And an obligation to care for te taiao, because our own survival depends on that.
I guess interconnected. Like, I know it depends on me not to mess it up and I depend on it to breathe, basically, well for everything
Concern for te taiao
The felt sense of inter-relativity between all things facilitated a range of emotions in response to a number of environmental concerns.
Littering was a concern.
That pisses me off...if I see people throw their rubbish on the side
Pollution of freshwater.
Our freshwater systems are doing pretty crap 'cause agriculture; and something definitely needs to be done about that
Deforestation.
A lot of it was like the edge of pine forests...it wasn't very nice either...I'd always think about all the deforestation and shit
And, commercialisation.
It's just poor for the environment and us...the product of commercialisation
Our impressions
All our sensory modalities were attended to during the hīkoi Image Credit: Centre for Indigenous Psychologies
Our hīkoi was an opportunity to move beyond physicality and experience nature intentionally, consciously, and with all our senses.
We explored how and if our sensory perceptions (in all their forms), while we were in the ngahere, influenced our felt sense of engagement with and connection to the ngahere.
Aligning with other modes of research, our hīkoi revealed several key themes:
HAUORA: We found immersion in the ngahere had a positive influence on our holistic well-being. We felt more peaceful, calm, happy and our minds were settled.
CONNECTION: We were more conscious of our felt sense of connection (or in some cases, disconnection) to the ngahere and te taiao, and this influenced a desire to want to connect more with the ngahere.
OBLIGATION: Due to our heightened sense of connection, we felt a greater obligation and responsibility to care for and protect these natural spaces, which was coupled with an extreme concern for specific environmental issues.
Intentional immersion in the ngahere promotes well-being and drives individual efforts aimed at environmental sustainability Image Credit: Centre for Indigenous Psychologies
Mobilising to act
Our hīkoi contributed to the goals of Mobilising for Action by exploring the meanings and values of te taiao from an insider's perspective; an embodied form of knowing.
Sensory ethnography offers insight into phenomena in a more holistic fashion, acknowledging the power of place and experiential understanding of it.
Many of our group already avidly and regularly engaged with the ngahere, and this fed a sense of what it means to be Māori for them.
Our hīkoi suggests immersion in the ngahere continues to enhance this connection to te taiao for many, but not all, Māori.
Equally, immersion in the ngahere can ignite a range of emotions that drive efforts to protect, care and sustain the environment.
What this suggests is that initiatives that mobilise Māori into biosecurity should consider that:
- Biosecurity is seen within the context of the wider eco-system, therefore initiatives aimed at taonga species should take account of a whole-of-environment perspective
- Many Māori are already engaged in and motivated toward environmental sustainability - therefore awareness raising campaigns about biosecurity incursions among a range of communities is likely to result in 'buy-in' - but communities must first know about the concerns to be able to act
- Initiatives aimed at creating space and place for immersion in natural environments will be a useful way for further driving Māori to mobilise into action with regard to biosecurity
- To progress this kaupapa, we must acknowledge and continue to explore the complex relationship between body-mind-spirit and environment using multiple methodological approaches.
Our rōpū (group) during our hīkoi Image Credits: Centre for Indigenous Psychologies
