He Tohu Āhuarangi: Climate Change Signs between Antarctica and Aotearoa

Project Summary

The project aimed to support steps toward a more holistic and Indigenous-led stewardship of Antarctica, by introducing and exploring how to apply the concept and practice of tohu into our rangahau. Observations of Antarctic sea-floor seeps signal a potential tohu or tipping point for the icy continent. Our interpretation of tohu asks about the place of human response and responsibility to signs and tipping points. Introducing this te ao Māori model to Antarctic research within an international network supports sustainable transformation toward flourishing futures for Māori.

Alyssa Thomas, Ocean Mercier and Sarah Seabrook, 2024, presented "He Tohu Āhuarangi: climate change signs between Antarctica and Aotearoa", at Session 32, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Histories: new perspectives and interpretations Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research SCAR conference, Pucon, Chile, 19-23 August. 

Researchers

Associate Professor Ocean Mercier and Alyssa Thomas, Victoria University of Wellington