A Maori worldview describes the immune system as a guardian – this could improve public health in Aotearoa NZ

In biomedical science, the immune system is described as a cellular defence network that identifies and neutralises threats. In te ao Maori (the Maori worldview), it can be seen as a dynamic system of guardianship, known as te punaha awhikiri.

For Maori, wellbeing is relational and interconnected. It encompasses physical, mental, spiritual and environmental health. Within this understanding, we can think about the immune system as a living guardian that protects and regulates an individual’s internal balance and connection to the wider world.

Te punaha (system) awhikiri (immunity) expresses how the immune system functions through the lens of matauranga Maori (Maori knowledge), including through concepts such as kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whakapapa (genealogy) and tautika (balance).

The image of a guardian that embraces and protects, and invites empathy and identity, may engage better with people who traditionally have been left out of science and health system discussions.

Framing the immune system through this cultural perspective offers an opportunity to engage Maori communities and to better support public health in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Protecting the land

The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues and signalling pathways designed to detect and eliminate pathogens. In te ao Maori, this function can be likened to that of a kaitiaki, or guardian, who acts to preserve and protect whenua – which means both land and placenta – and everything in it.

To understand this perspective, it is worth considering several key ideas around the mythological origin, significance and guardianship of land.

In te ao Maori, the universe was formed from Te Kore, a place of potential without form or shape (like the formless void of Greek mythology). From this space, the two major deities of Maori mythology – Ranginui the Sky Father and Papatuanuku the Earth Mother – emerged tightly bound to one another.

Then came Te Po, a place of darkness in which the deities’ children came into being; foremost among them was Tane Mahuta who eventually forced his parents apart to reveal Te Ao Marama, the world of light.

Hence the intermingling of placenta and land, referring to Papatuanuku having begot all life. Land itself becomes a living entity from whence all things come. From Tane Mahuta we get the first person, Hine-ahu-one, forged from sacred red earth, giving rise to tangata whenua or people of the Earth.

Parallels between immunology and te ao Maori

Taken as a starting point for understanding te ao Maori, te punaha awhikiri guards the integrity of the body and its essential life force (mauri). It is imbued with intelligence, memory and purpose, constantly working to sustain balance (tautika) within the body.

There are numerous ways in which we can overlay ideas from matauranga Maori with the scientific understanding of te punaha awhikiri. At its core, the immune system detects foreign agents entering the body, mobilises immune cells to respond appropriately, regulates the strength of response and creates memory of the incursion. These functions map onto concepts in te ao Maori.

Detecting foreign agents is akin to the idea of tauhou, which describes a foreign entity to the body (in terms of a culture or society, a landmass or a person). This term brings to mind the experience of colonisation to Maori people and is associated with the notion of cultural and social institutions displacing tribal authority.

Mobilisation of immune cells reflects the call to action embodied by kaitiaki, people who respond when the need arises to protect their whenua and whanau (family). Often this response may begin with an individual, but that individual can promote an entire whanau, hapu or even iwi to mobilise.

Immunological memory mirrors the ways in which tupuna (ancestors) pass on inter-generational knowledge to their whanau. This knowledge transfer means people learn lessons from the past, which helps formulate responses for future events or fighting pathogens.

Signal regulation is conceptually similar to how tapu (sacred) and noa (ordinary) regulate the spiritual, social and physical order of things. In te ao Maori, someone may enter a state of tapu (sacredness or spiritual potency) for many reasons, such as to learn sacred knowledge or go to war. However, it is not sustainable to remain in this state for too long and rituals are used to return that person to a state of noa. These rituals are ordained by particular individuals imbued with the correct teachings.

Beyond the body

Matauranga Maori recognises that wellbeing is not just a condition of the body but a state of balance across a network of relationships – between people, land, spirit and ancestors. When these bonds are intact, the system operates with integrity. But when disconnection or trauma occurs, the life force can be diminished, leaving the body and spirit more vulnerable to imbalance and illness.

Te taiao (the natural world) plays a key role for maintaining balance. Time spent in forests, rivers or coastal areas, especially those of ancestral significance, has long been understood in Maori culture to nourish wellbeing. Contemporary science now supports this, showing that immersion in nature can reduce inflammation, lower stress hormones and strengthen immune function.

For Maori, the value is not just physiological; it is spiritual and genealogical. The land is not an external environment. It is kin.

Just as inflammation or infection signals imbalance in Western medicine, in te ao Maori it may indicate a deeper disharmony – one that cannot be resolved without restoring the relationships that sustain life.

Te punaha awhikiri responds not only to pathogens or physical threats, but to disconnection, breach of tapu and the lingering effects of cultural trauma. Healing, therefore, is not just a return to physical wellness but a return to relationships. It is an embrace of the people, places and practices that keep us whole.

Te punaha awhikiri offers a cultural narrative that unifies numerous strands of matauranga Maori with science. These ideas affirm Maori ways of knowing, using concepts that reflect inter-connectedness and ancestral insight. They invite understanding of health not as mechanistic, but as a dynamic state of tautika between multiple dimensions.

This opens space for blending Indigenous knowledge and science, supporting inclusive dialogue about different ways of reaching Te Ao Marama – enlightenment.

Tama Te Puea Braithwaite-Westoby works for the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Tama has also recently become an affiliate investigator for the Maurice Wilkins Centre.