Mārakai as sites of ahi kaa and resistance

Colonising processes, which led to the removal of many hapū and iwi from their whenua through conflict and dispossession, significantly altered Māori relationships with environments and associated tikanga. Mārakai, as a manifestation of ahi kaa, formed an important part of Māori resistance efforts to maintain occupation of their whenua. Large-scale disconnection of tangata whenua from whenua severely undermined their wellbeing and ability to maintain nature-culture relationships through continued practice of ahi kaa. Today mārakai provide pathways for recentring kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga and forming connections through the reoccupation of whenua. Through this, ahi kaa are being uncovered and reignited to demonstrate continued occupation of whenua in ways that revitalise culture-specific food practices. This article follows the development and implementation of Te Moeone mārakai, which was developed as a vehicle for Ngāti Tāwhirikura, a hapū in the Taranaki region, to pursue their aspirations.