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foreign and difficult to accept and relate to because their historic relationship
with taewa is so strong.
“If they [growers] have known it [taewa] all their lives and their father and their
grandfather have known it all their lives then how can it not be a part of who
they are? That’s the scientific aspect and very much the Pakeha aspect is to
compartmentalise everything… because they don’t understand other
paradigms that’s how they justify their position.” (Grower 1)
Taewa are an important part of the connection to the land for Maori,
facilitating a means to partake in the traditional responsibilities of care and
nurture associated with the whenua. Controversy concerning whether taewa
are ‘indigenous’ is irrelevant as the crop has traditionally had such important
roles and functions in Maori society. Clearly taewa contribute towards Maori
cultural identity for the growers interviewed, serving to reinforce whakapapa
and therefore facilitate aspects of Maori sustainable development.
4.4 Economic survival
Hauora: Takoha mai Takoha atu
With your gifts and our gifts we will achieve great success
It is important to comment that significant economic returns are not the
primary reason for any of the growers in this case study choosing to cultivate
taewa. In fact growers identified the pressures to have economic returns as
not ideal but rather a necessity.
“…those factors that impinge on being Maori, that economic thing about
having to earn money to pay bills, to pay rates for instance on your land you
know so that you have a bare minimum that you have to return to keep a third
party off your back. And we are in a world where we can’t run from that, you
know that it exists whether we like it or not and even if we did isolate
ourselves it’s a global environment, you know you can keep a few people from
the door but you won’t keep everyone from the door. There will still be people
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