Hīkina te mānuka: Advancing Indigenous Leadership in Molecular Ecology

Abstract

Nau mai ki tēnei kaupapa (welcome to this special issue):Kōkiri mai rā e ngā tohunga nō ngā iwi taketake o te ao nei, Kōkiri mai rā hoki e ngā mātanga o te ao pūtaiao, Mauria mai rā ō koutou tini mate kia tangihia e tātou e, Whakapiri mai rā kia tipu ake ai te hononga i waenganui i a tātou e, Haere mai rā, piki mai rā, kake mai rā.Welcome, you experts belonging to the Indigenous Peoples of this world, Welcome, you skilled folks of the world of science, We grieve those who have passed on from this world, Let us, the living, come close now to grow the links between us, Welcome, welcome, welcome. | Ko wai mātou? (Who Are We?/Positionality)Within numerous Indigenous cultures, introductions involve sharing about mountains, oceans, streams, lands, villages and family names important to the individuals or groups. This practice establishes the 'ties that bind', setting a foundation for collective intentions. The associate editors, in this spirit, introduce their shared interest in creating space for Indigenous Peoples within the sphere of molecular ecology.Seafha Ramos (SCR) has primarily been engaged with Yurok culture throughout her life. In the Yurok community, she comes from the Frye family and the villages of 'Ernerr', Ahpah and Wechpues. The Yurok reservation and ancestral lands are located in what is now California in the United States of America. Seafha is an interdisciplinary wildlife ecologist, utilising Indigenous Research