As a Matter of Fact

The debate about mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) is ongoing and, of late, often angry. Last July seven scholars from the University of Auckland wrote a letter to the New Zealand Listener complaining about the teaching of mātauranga Māori in schools. They said that, while mātauranga had some role to play in New Zealand society, it fell “far short of what we can define as science itself”. More than 2000 people, including a number of prominent scientists, responded with a letter defending the discipline.

Several months later, in mid-December, British celebrity scientist Richard Dawkins weighed in, as he is wont to do. Publishing a series of tweets and a letter, he objected to the use of mātauranga Māori in science, declaring that it is