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Women in Maori Science
Women have made great contributions to Maori science. One notable woman was Wahakaotirangi. Wahakaotirangi brought kumara to the Waikato region of New Zealand. When in Waikato, Wahakaotirangi built gardens in which she experimented with growing edible and medicinal plants, in particular studying how to make the kumara grow in the cooler climate of Waikato. This was an essential innovation for the Tainui people of Waikato, as it provided them a reliable and sustainable source of food. Wahakaotirangi was also a part of the invention and launch of the Tainui canoe.

Other notable women in the field of Maori science are Makereti Papakura, who wrote a thesis on the Maori people, and Rina Winifred Moore, the first female Maori doctor in New Zealand.

Colonization and Erasure
In Maori society, experts in a skill or art are called tohunga. Tohunga were often the only source of medicinal knowledge and education in Maori culture. The New Zealand parliament passed the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907, which made tohunga status illegal and punishable by fines or imprisonment. This act stayed in place until 1962, and is partly responsible for erasure of Maori knowledge and science.

Impact
Maori science had major impacts on New Zealand. For example, Wahakaotirangi’s innovations in agriculture ensured the formation and survival of the Tainui people. This influence persists, and is seen in such cases as the New Zealand Department of Conservation’s Biodiversity Strategy, which states that by 2020, “traditional Maori knowledge, or matauranga Maori, about biodiversity is respected and preserved and informs biodiversity management”.