Reimagining, reclaiming, and reconnecting Indigenous voices in urbanism: a review of Indigenous approaches for urban ecological restoration

The protection of nature is a growing concern around the world as competition for resources intensifies. Local communities grapple with ever-increasing challenges like climate change, resource extraction, biodiversity loss, and the imminent development of urban spaces. Work is now being undertaken by local and Indigenous communities to restore nature and protect these areas for future generations. Indigenous peoples who hold a strong belief in nature as kin have an important role to play in restoring nature. However, this position may not be well acknowledged by civil society. In the same manner, exclusion of Indigenous People from decision-making may be well entrenched in policy and planning mechanisms, creating further barriers for their input. Urban spaces, where a large majority of Indigenous Peoples reside, are now faced with environmental challenges, with ecological restoration poised as a solution for such issues. In this paper, we discuss the value of partnering with Indigenous People for urban ecological restoration. By highlighting examples from Aotearoa, we share the challenges and opportunities faced by Māori communities to care for nature and be part of the decision-making processes pertaining to nature and cities. We state here the need to ensure that Māori communities are part of the solutions for nature’s care and protection for transformative urbanism to occur in Aotearoa and beyond.