Publication Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2026
Author(s): Moka Apiti
Journal Name: Te Manunui
Volume / Issue: Vol 1, Issue 1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.67466/temanunui.2026.1.1.1
Keywords
Māori spatial ontology; Indigenous GIS; whenua kōrero; whenua-based pedagogy; co-presence; Indigenous data sovereignty
Abstract
This article reconceptualises spatial technologies through Māori ontological foundations to support Indigenous pedagogies of place. It argues that the divergence between institutional geographic information systems (GIS) and Māori spatial ontology is pedagogical and technical, as spatial systems shape how knowledge is encountered and transmitted.
The article advances the concept of Māori spatial pedagogy as a distinct mode of learning grounded in relational engagement with whenua. Drawing on principles of whakapapa, kōrero tuku iho, and embodied interaction, it identifies key pedagogical conditions in which knowledge is encountered, including movement, co-presence, relational positioning, and the sequencing of narrative. These are contrasted with conventional GIS learning environments that privilege abstraction, visualisation, and analytical distance.
Positioning spatial technologies as pedagogical environments, the article argues that systems supporting Māori relationships with place must be designed around relational encounter rather than abstract representation. This requires an integrated approach aligning pedagogy, governance, infrastructure, and tikanga from the outset.
It concludes by establishing Māori digital spatial technologies as a distinct pedagogical domain, proposing that developing such systems requires both technical capability and fluency in Māori cosmology, whakapapa, and tikanga to inform the design of relational learning environments.
