Indigenous communities and disaster research: Maori and the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010–2011

Abstract

This paper presents insights into the impacts on Māori of the Christchurch 2010–11 earthquakes. Three topics are discussed. The first is the role of Indigenous Knowledge in disasters. If such knowledge is to be integrated with Western science to build societal resilience, which systems are these integration processes building the resilience of, and for whom? The second issue is the role of Indigenous culture in the response to disasters. A concern is the reification of culture as a necessary and sufficient condition for Indigenous resilience. Lastly, the ethical, practical and logistical challenges of working with Indigenous individuals and collectives post-disaster are discussed.