Indigenous soil sovereignty is a concept that encompasses the rights and authority of Indigenous communities to govern and protect their ancestral lands and soils. It is deeply rooted in the interconnectedness between land, culture, and identity.

Me aro koe ki te hā o Hineahuone 
Pay heed to the dignity of women - to our soils

For centuries, Indigenous peoples have maintained a harmonious relationship with the Earth, considering it not merely a resource but a living entity deserving of respect and protection. However, colonisation and modern-day challenges have threatened the sovereignty and wellbeing of Indigenous communities and their lands. In this blog, we explore the importance of Indigenous soil sovereignty, its challenges, and the ways in which Indigenous communities are reclaiming their land and preserving their cultural heritage, in connection with their soils. 

What is Indigenous soil sovereignty?

Indigenous soil sovereignty goes beyond the conventional notion of land rights. It recognises the spiritual, cultural, and ecological significance of the land to Indigenous communities. For many Indigenous peoples, the land is not a commodity to be bought, sold, or exploited; it is a sacred space deeply intertwined with our identity, history, and traditional knowledge systems. 

Understanding Māori soil sovereignty

Māori soil sovereignty is about honouring the divine connection we have with Hineahuone - our deity of our soils and the essence from where tangata (humans) took shape and form at Kurawaka. Māori soil sovereignty is linked to the rights encapsulated in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the ongoing activism for rangatiratanga (sovereignty). As an Indigenous woman and Hua Parakore grower, it is a reminder for me to think about my role to care, nurture and protect the fragile interconnected soil food web. To honour our soils as the essence of our life.

The image above shows healthy soil, bursting with insects, worms and soil microbes.

Soils are essential to growing kai (food) and are a key part of Māori food security, food sovereignty and sustainable food systems. At Papawhakaritorito, we often feel that we are soil farmers rather than food farmers. Everything we do in the māra (garden) begins with our soils. We compost, don’t dig, polycrop and chop and drop all to enhance the soil food web beneath our feet. 

Threats to our soils 

Modern agriculture, deforestation, mining and changing land use are impacting our soils. The industries are based on extractive capitalist development models that are harming the environment and our soils. As I wrote in Te Mahi Mara Hua Parakore, A Māori Soil Health and Wellbeing Handbook: “These industrial capitalist development models are the burial ground for fertile soil and are inherently violent, resulting in one out of seven people in the world being hungry while one third of global food is wasted.” (pp51).

The image above shows the cover of the book,Te Mahi Māra Hua Parakore, at He Whenua Rongo - an Indigenous Seed, Soil and Food Sovereignty Symposium, held in April 2024 in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Reindigenising soil practices through Hua Parakore Soil Health Framework 

The Hua Parakore is a framework for growing Kai Atua or Pure Food. It works with the divine wisdom of our tūpuna (ancestors) and was developed by Te Waka Kai Ora (National Māori Organics Authority). It is also the first verification and validation system for Kai Atua - Pure Food or a Māori organic product. The Hua Parakore Indigenous framework can also assist in uplifting the health of our soils or the mana of our spoil deity - Hineahuone. Māori food-growing activities and relationships with soils are understood as pathways that connect whānau to the wisdom of our tūpuna and Atua realms. This practice of growing food supports greater whānau, community and environmental wellbeing. 

Te Pou Tarāwaho o Hua Parakore: Hei whakaute i a Hineahuone

The Hua Parakore Framework: With respect and deference to Hineahuone.

In Te Mahi Oneone Hua Parakore, a book I co-edited with Jo Smith, we developed a Hua Parakore soil health practice framework to support a return to knowing and elevating the mana of our tūpuna of soil, Hineahuone. A contribution to both kaupapa Māori theory and Hua Parakore practice we bring this framework forward to thinking about Kai Atua food systems as a guide to soil health. 

The framework is based on six key principles:

Whakapapa: 

• Honouring the indivisible relationship between land, waters, people and soil
• Strengthening and retaining the whakapapa of soil 
• Remapping whakapapa values to soil 
• Protecting and enhancing soil through natural practices, such as composting

Wairua: 

• Reconnecting our divine senses to soil 
• Enhancing the divine qualities of soil 
• Building wairua-based approaches to soil management 

Mana:

• Connecting the practice of manaakitanga and clean kai to the soil
• Asking not what the soil can do for us but what we can do for the soil
• Advocating for the sovereign rights of soil

Māramatanga: 

• Openness to our intuitive knowing about soil
• Receiving insights from nature
• Connecting with nature as the teacher

Te Ao Tūroa: 

• Understanding the connection to the wider ecological, social and cultural systems
• Ensuring the wellbeing of the wider ecological system
• Identifying the interconnected and key role that soil plays in food production systems

Mauri: 

• Practising mauri-enhancing soil techniques
• Building soil microbiology
• Bringing in practices of composting, green manures and crop rotation. 

This image above explains the Hua Parakore Soil Health Framework. 

Indigenous soil sovereignty is a vital component of Indigenous rights, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation. It acknowledges the deep connection between Indigenous communities and our ancestral lands, while also recognising our role as custodians of the environment. Reclaiming land and preserving cultural heritage are essential steps towards rectifying historical injustices and building a more equitable future. By supporting Indigenous soil sovereignty, we can foster a world where diverse cultures thrive, and the Earth is respected and preserved for future generations.

"Seeding Hope: He kakano ahau"  is a three-year, Indigenous-led, kaupapa Māori research project, funded from the Te Apārangi Marsden Standard Grant.