Weaving Worlds through the Spirit of the Commons: Perspectives from te ao Māori and European worlds

Join us at the Motueka Library for an exploration of the history of commons, their enclosure and the potential to re-animate the ethos of the commons to create a more equitable, regenerative future for Aotearoa New Zealand. This discussion with Aneika Young and Catherine Knight, facilitated by Jack Santa Barbara, will draw on ancestral wisdom and contemporary practice from both te ao Māori and European worlds, shining light on the ‘spirit of the commons’.

Whariki mai ngā aho o te whenua. (A whakatauki evoking the deep connection between people and the environment)

About the speakers:

Aneika Young is a specialist in Māori Resource Management and Kaupapa Māori research. Aneika is Te Ao Māori Advisor, Te Papa Ao Tūroa o Aotearoa/The Nature Conservancy New Zealand.

Dr Catherine Knight is an award‑winning environmental historian and author of six books including New Zealand’s Rivers: An environmental history, Beyond Manapouri: 50 years of environmental politics in New Zealand and Nature and Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has a strong interest in post-growth and wellbeing economy and writes on these topics on Newsroom, The Spinoff and on Substack. Catherine works in public policy and is an Honorary Research Associate at Massey University.

Her newest work, An Uncommon Land, weaves together ancestral family stories and wider social and environmental history to trace the process of enclosure and the rise of private property, and offers a compelling vision for a regenerative, re‑commoned future.

Register your participation here.

This event is organised in partnership with the Motueka Public Library.

This event is part of Climate Action Festival 2025. See the full program here.