QUEST FOR KAITIAKITANGA

02-23-2008

 

The Ancient Maori Secret from New Zealand That Could Save the Earth

By Richard Bangs 

 

 

    Until recently, “kaitiakitanga”, the ancient Maori ideal of guardianship of the land was a lost concept.  It is, by some measure, the original concept of “Pay It Forward,” a practice of making the land better than when found, so that future generations may enjoy and profit, and continue an endless chain of goodwill and being.  “It is the idea that we are all a part of Nature, not separate from it…and that simple notion may hold the promise of long tomorrows, and is perhaps a truth for the whole of the world,” Bangs says in the final chapter.

 

     The concept has undergone a revival in New Zealand and is fueling an increasingly popular eco-movement. Structured by the author as a grand adventure, QUEST FOR KAITIAKITANGA traces a trail from the bottom of the earth, the southern-most tip of the South Island of New Zealand, up through the heart of this vibrant and verdant country. Bangs’ expedition includes heli-hiking, ice-climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, and horse-back riding through New Zealand’s stunning natural environments. There is a trek through Waipoua Forest, where massive trees pre-date Christ; a trip by sea kayak to Motuara Island, the wildlife sanctuary in the outer Queen Charlotte Sound; and more.

 

     Along the way, Bangs takes a hard look at the state of the wilds and wildlife, from threatened fur seals at Gillespie Beach and endangered birds of Kapiti Island to the rapid advances of the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.  He also examines the kinds of growth and improvements fostered by kaitiakitanga, from radically designed eco-lodges to paradigm-shifting native ventures.  The journey ends at the north end of the North Island with a visit at Cape Regina where the concept of kaitiakitanga was born, a point where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean violently meet. On a tiny spit of land, a lone pohutokawa tree stands.  It is here departed souls are believed to leap off the earth they made better and return with restful souls to the mythical homeland, the paradise of Hawaiki. 

 

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Richard Bangs is a world adventurer, international river explorer, Web pioneer, and award-winning author of over a dozen books and hundreds of magazine articles. He is also founding partner of Mountain Travel Sobek, America's oldest and largest adventure travel firm. He is currently producing and hosting the new PBS series, Richard Bangs’ Adventures with Purpose.  An episode about Quest for Kaitiakitanga will air in February 2008.

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