Native Land Digital Map

Today in Aotearoa, the moon is in Ōtāne 🌙 The Maramataka is the Māori Lunar calendar, which literally means "the turning of the moon". It marks the phases of the moon in a lunar month. The Maramataka was a guiding knowledge system for ancestors before they migrated to Aotearoa. As the ancestors travelled from Hawaiki to Aotearoa, the calendar had to shift to accomodate the southern hemisphere's sky, climate and seasons. All Rights Maramataka tools were adapted from the mātauranga Māori in Living by the Moon Te Maramataka A Te Whānau-ā-Apanui by Wiremu Tawhai, (2013), Huia Publishers. #maramataka #moon

Reciprocity Scrapbook: Spotlighting different kaupapa on our Reciprocity Map. Our Reciprocity Map is a resource for people to find out what action is occuring on different indigenous lands around the world. Next in our series is the Mabuwaya Foundation @mabuwayafoundation In 1999, a small fragmented Philippine crocodile population was discovered in Northern Sierra Madre in the Isabela Province. It marked the start of a last attempt to save the species in the wild in Luzon. Through the efforts of the Mabuwaya Foundation, the number of the Philippine Crocodile population grew to 124 by 2024. The Mabuwaya Foundation works from a basis of Indigenous knowledge and conservation techniques. The Mabuwaya Foundation uses a community-based conservation approach aimed at raising awareness about the Philippine Crocodile and local acceptance and participation in crocodile conservation. “This is about more than just one animal. It’s about our river, our forest and our future.” Bantay Sanktuwaryo Where to find out more and support: Mabuwaya.org /mabuwaya/

Kia ora! Today we are sharing the next updates on the Native Land Digital platform. Now when you visit the website you will notice we have removed the visualisation of territory boundaries and borders. As stated in our previous blog post territorial boundaries have been used to divide, control, and obscure the deeper relationships Indigenous peoples hold with land and waters. Most maps represent Indigenous peoples through broad groupings (tribes) and fixed boundaries. This approach cannot capture the specificity of how knowledge is held. In many contexts, knowledge exists at the level of smaller family or community groups, with detailed relationships to particular rivers, coastlines, and ecosystems. Language is the primary way this knowledge is maintained and shared. Centering Indigenous language allows us to engage with ecological biomes. By acknowledging Indigenous local languages we create an entry point to deeper questions such as: What does this language hold about this place? What relationships and responsibilities are embedded within it? You can read more about our updates here https://native-land.ca/about/what-we-map To get in touch with the team, join our discord channel. /invite/8a6sJfDgD7 We hope you enjoy exploring these new changes and our new maps. Ngā mihi! NLD team

Desde Gera, Tayta Manuel León Sauca mantiene viva la música tradicional del Pueblo Saraguro. 🎶 Hoy, su música sigue resistiendo el paso del tiempo. EN From Gera, Tayta Manuel Sauca keeps the traditional music of the Saraguro people alive. 🎶 Today, his music continues to withstand the passage of time. #músicasaraguro #raíces #AncestralSound #indigenousheritage #aylluland

Wonderful funding opportunity from First Nations! @fndi303 First Nations will award multiple grants in the amount of $10,000 to $40,000 each to Native-led and Native-serving orgs working to ensure consistent access and availability to an abundance of culturally relevant foods. Apply here: /rfps/2026-native-food-security-grant/

Reciprocity Scrapbook: Spotlighting different kaupapa on our Reciprocity Map. Our Reciprocity Map is a resource for people to find out what action is occuring on different indigenous lands around the world. First up is The Lahaina Community Land Trust. @lahainacommunitylandtrust The Lahaina Community Land Trust was created after the devastating fires of August 2023. Before the fires, there was already a housing crisis for Lahaina residents. Only a fraction of homes in Lahaina were lived in by full-time residents; the majority were used as investment properties. The impact of the fires meant that there was an immediate risk of further loss. Establishing The Lahaina Community Land Trust was a decisive step to protect local ownership. The Lahaina Community Land Trust wants to ensure that land & homes are kept with Lahaina residents for generations to come. Keep Lahaina Land in Lahaina hands. Where to find them and support: / @lahainacommunitylandtrust All images by Kahālāwai Consulting LLC and The Lahaina Community Land Trust

Hoy compartimos el video de una noche que quedó grabada en nuestros corazones. El cine comunitario en Chukidel Ayllullakta fue más que una proyección: fue un encuentro especial, donde cada detalle se construyó con compromiso, cariño y la fuerza del Ayllu. Gracias por ser parte de esta experiencia. 💛 EN Today we share the video of a night that remains engraved in our hearts. The community cinema in Chukidel Ayllullakta was more than a screening: it was a special gathering where every detail was built with commitment, care, and the strength of the Ayllu. Thank you for being part of this experience. 💛 #cinecomunitario #ayllu #cineindigena

Research update: Kia ora koutou, to update we're emailing all nations to ask for permission, acknowledging our Data Sovereignty Treaty. We have completed our outreach in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and have started working to connect with tribal nations in 'Canada' NLD's home base. It is a huge undertaking but it is the only way we can open up the lines of communication with nation members. To get this mahi done, we shifted all communications to Discord, there's a community building there for discussions about mapping and the regions yet to be mapped. We also cleared the research backlog 1100 emails answered!! There are 2 people working on this with casual hours and we're happy to have another Aotearoa based Indigenous creative join us soon to help update our socials and communications. As Indigenous peoples we know what it means to live as tribal peoples in this contemporary world. There is a definite distinction between non-Indigenous voices and the expectations of who we represent on the map and how we represent 'territories' on the map. Compared with the Indigenous way of understanding lands and waters. We're so happy and honoured to have spent time with the works of the artists who submitted their mahitoi (artworks) to our NLD zine. It was such a beautiful gift to us. We're still writing emails to thank everyone. Over the coming months, we're going to share with you all the artists and their work. It helped us get through these tough times and we know it will be beneficial for your eyes, hearts and minds too. Arohanui (with love and gratitude) NLD whanau 🍃

Kia ora koutou, from Waitangi this weekend.. Taiātea - Indigenous leaders arrived to discuss urgent protection targets. They called for united action to protect 30% of the worlds oceans by 2030 - climate change, overfishing, plastic pollution and deep sea mining are immediate threats to all life on earth. The ocean covers over 70% of the Earths surface as an interconnected body of salt water, and deep sea covers about 90%. - Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa (Pacific ocean) covers around 50%, - Atlantic ocean around 22%, - Indian ocean 20% - Southern ocean 7% As we know Seabed mining causes irreversible habitat loss, destroying habitats that will take millions of years to recover. The deep seabed has manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements. These critical minerals are used in everything from defense systems and batteries to smartphones and medical devices. None of this is news to Indigenous peoples on the frontlines. The ocean zones currently under threat: Pacific Ocean (Primary target) - The Clarion Clipperton Zone between Hawaii and Mexico (mining for polymetallic nodules. Other areas the Bismarck Sea near Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu & the Cook Islands.�� Indian Ocean: Central and South West Indian ridges. � Atlantic Ocean: Mid-Atlantic Ridge - being surveyed�� Arctic Ocean: - proposals.� Coastal areas such as Taranaki here in Aotearoa where an application to mine 50 million tonnes of seabed a year for 30 years has just been declined. We can all unite - our reciprocity map highlights ocean treaties in action, and some of the Indigenous ocean based projects globally. We’re working to connect with communities to share their stories and what they need to keep doing the work. The ocean is our ancestor, the lungs of Mother Earth - it affects all of our lives and we must take action - now Kia kaha 💙

Kia ora e te whanau - It's Waitangi Day here in Aotearoa! On this day in 1840, Māori rangatira (Chiefs/ leaders) signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi, long story short it was building on He Whakaputanga - the Declaration of Independence NZ (1835). Our great great great grandfathers & mothers had had enough of pakeha who were running wild, lawless and chaotic. So they signed Te Tiriti allowing the Queen authority to govern HER own people. As usual translations from te reo (our language) to English were different in meaning. Our sovereignty has never been ceded and over 60,000 people are expected to gather together over weekend to acknowledge that fact. So far: - Nga Mana Mokopuna hikoi - youth arrived after a 6 day walk standing up for future generations and sending a message to the government about honouring Te Tiriti. - Paraikete whero - an increase in red blankets stitched with flags and stories of land loss, are being worn to show resistance, against the current Government and its agenda. - This year Indigenous leaders from across the Pacific came together for Taiātea: Gathering of the Oceans, uniting voices, knowledge, and stewardship frameworks to protect Te Moana Nui a Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean) as a living ancestor and shared responsibility. Their message is clear: our oceans are not resources to be managed, they are relations to be cared for, defended, and protected for the generations that follow. Calling for Treaty action, accountability, and the return of decision-making power over lands and waters to Indigenous peoples! #WaitangiDay #TeTiritiOWaitangi #Landback #NativeLandDigital #IndigenousSovereignty #oceanlife #temoananuiakiwa 🖤

Native Land Digital acknowledges the Indigenous homelands, waters, and spiritual beings across the globe who uphold the knowledge, languages, genealogies, and responsibilities that guide our work. We honour the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples past, present, and emerging whose enduring relationships with land and water remain the foundation of our collective future. We recognise that Indigenous geographies are rivers, mountains, animals, ecosystems, and the many unseen beings. The maps we create reflect these living relationships a constellation of stories. This Annual Report is grounded in Indigenous data sovereignty and respect for the many nations present on our maps. Mōrena whānau, This month we held our NLD AGM we see it as a moment to pause, reflect, and realign with our kaupapa (purpose). Our focus this year is on relationship-building through community-led projects. We are committed to non-extractive engagement with Indigenous communities, prioritising meaningful, reciprocal collaborations grounded in care and accountability. We will also delve deeper into environmental issues and sharing the work happening on the land and in the waters. We believe in peoples everywhere working in relationship with one another and the natural world, for the wellbeing of all living beings on our shared water planet. As an Indigenous grassroots organisation supported entirely by donations, we’ll be reaching out to our community and networks for support to help carry this mahi (work) forward. We are committed to reciprocating with koha (gifts), recognising the time, energy, and knowledge generously shared by community members. Kia kaha, NLD whanau 💚 You can read our AGM report over on our Linkedin page (see the Linktree) 🍃 #indigenousmapping #indigenousstorytelling #indigenous

Mōrena whanaunga! 24/7 Relatives - Indigenous, native, first nations, tribal members, allies & community around the globe! The people who imagine themselves 'holding power' over our lands and waters know nothing of the aroha (love) that rises in the mist from the land or falls in the light rain from the skies.. Our ancestors: 🌟 live in us, 🌟🌟breathe through us 🌟🌟🌟 cry for us 🌟🌟 guide us & 🌟dream into us Keep dreaming and actioning the dreams - all of us together create a powerful waiata (song). Kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui! Be Brave, Be Strong, Be Steadfast! In aroha from Aotearoa ✊🏽 🖤 #holdtheline #ancestorsideeye #inspiredbyyou #enduring