Kaitiaki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kaitiaki is a New Zealand term used for the Māori concept of guardianship, for the sky, the sea, and the land. A kaitiaki is a guardian.
The process and practices of protecting and looking after the environment are referred to as kaitiakitanga and include rāhui and tapu[1].
The term kaitiaki is also increasingly used both in the Māori language and in New Zealand English for broader roles of trusteeship or guardianship—especially in public sector organisations.
Examples include:
- A proposed "Governance-Kaitiaki group" to oversee electronic authentication by government[2]
- New Zealand's Chief Ombudsman is "Nga Kaitiaki Mana Tangata" in Māori (i.e. "The guardian of the people")[3]
- The role of kaitiaki in the management of the Koha software project[4]