Kura Paul-Burke's journey from feeling invisible as a Māori child to becoming a leading marine scientist underscores the importance of cultural heritage in personal identity.
Her innovative approach to marine conservation demonstrates how blending traditional Māori ecological knowledge with contemporary science can effectively address environmental challenges.
Deep dives
The Creation of Earth and Sky
In Maori mythology, the separation of the sky father, Ranganui, and the earth mother, Papa Tuwanuku, by their son Tane Nui Arangi symbolizes the birth of the world. This act not only created space but also brought forth darkness, prompting Tane to seek a source of light. He found the fragile star Hineiroamoa, from which a daughter emerged, representing vital aspects of life, including childbirth and weaving. This narrative underlines the connection between indigenous creation stories and contemporary efforts to address modern environmental challenges, particularly in connection to ocean conservation.
Kura Paul-Burke's Journey to Marine Science
Kura Paul-Burke's path to becoming a marine ecologist was shaped by her experiences as a Maori child in New Zealand, where she faced societal prejudices that made her seemingly invisible. Despite initially feeling discouraged from pursuing science, an encounter with a microscope during her childhood sparked a deep curiosity about the natural world. It wasn't until later in life, after embracing her cultural roots, that she embarked on a journey to study marine sciences, driven by a desire to reconnect with the ocean that her ancestors once thrived in. Her personal and cultural struggles strengthened her resolve to find her place within the scientific community.
Integrating Maori Knowledge with Science
Kura's innovative approach to marine conservation involved merging her scientific training with traditional Maori ecological knowledge. Faced with declining green-lipped mussel populations, she consulted with tribal elders to understand historical harvesting sites and local environmental wisdom. By employing natural materials for mussel spat lines, Kura creatively combined ancestral weaving techniques with modern science to restore the populations successfully. This blending of practices not only led to significant ecological recovery but also highlighted the value of indigenous knowledge in contemporary environmental solutions.
Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber are both scientists, but it turns out there’s a lot they don’t know about the women that came before them. In Unstoppable, Julia and Ella tell each other the hidden, world-shaping stories of the scientists, engineers and innovators that they wish they’d known about when they were starting out in science. This week, a Māori marine scientist is combining indigenous knowledge with marine science to save the oceans that are so integral to her heritage.
Growing up in 1970s New Zealand, Kura-Paul Burke faced stigma due to her Māori roots. But, after finding herself studying marine science as an adult, Kura leaned on her heritage to take on a problem where many had already failed: restoring a lost population of precious, green-lipped mussels. Discover how Māori ancestresses, tribal elders and centuries-old knowledge inspired the ingenious methods of Aotearoa's first female Māori professor of marine science.
Presenters: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey
Guest Speaker: Dr Kura Paul-Burke
Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey
Assistant Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Anna Charalambou and Josie Hardy
Sound Designer: Ella Roberts
Production Coordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Editor: Holly Squire
(Image: Dr Kura Paul-Burke. Credit: Dr Kura Paul-Burke)
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