Ramari Stewart | Scientists and Research

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head>  <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="ie=edge"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <base href="https://www.visionlearning.com"> <title>Ramari Stewart | Scientists and Research | Visionlearning</title> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292"> <meta name="description" content="Nearly three million whales worldwide were killed at the height of the whaling industry. But 20th century laws to protect whales greatly affected the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand by outlawing their traditional practice of harvesting resources from whales that washed up on the beach. Over time, the Māori lost their ancient customs and their deep connection with whales. Māori whale expert and “whale rider” Ramari Stewart has dedicated her life to studying whales and preserving Māori traditions. Stewart is the first woman and indigenous person to have a marine mammal species named in her honor."> <meta name="keywords" content="whale, whales, maori, new zealand, polynesia, scientist, female scientist, stewardship, conservation"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta name="msvalidate.01" content="D8E20F39AD48052260032E56DE409970"> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "http://schema.org/", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://visionlearning.com/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292" }, "name": "Ramari Stewart", "headline": "Ramari Stewart: Whale expert, at the crossroads of science and tradition", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bonnie Denmark" }, "datePublished": "2024-02-01 16:22:37", "dateModified": "2017-02-12T08:30:00+05:00", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/img/library/moduleImages/mod-image-292.jpg", "width": 696, "height": 464 }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Visionlearning, Inc.", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "http://visionlearning.com/images/logo.png", "width": 278, "height": 60 } }, "description": "Nearly three million whales worldwide were killed at the height of the whaling industry. But 20th century laws to protect whales greatly affected the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand by outlawing their traditional practice of harvesting resources from whales that washed up on the beach. Over time, the Māori lost their ancient customs and their deep connection with whales. Māori whale expert and “whale rider” Ramari Stewart has dedicated her life to studying whales and preserving Māori traditions. Stewart is the first woman and indigenous person to have a marine mammal species named in her honor.", "keywords": "whale, whales, maori, new zealand, polynesia, scientist, female scientist, stewardship, conservation", "inLanguage": { "@type": "Language", "name": "English", "alternateName": "en" }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Visionlearning, Inc." }, "copyrightYear": "2024"} </script> <meta property="og:url" content="https://visionlearning.com/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292"> <meta property="og:title" content="Ramari Stewart | Scientists and Research | Visionlearning" /> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Visionlearning"> <meta property="og:description" content="Nearly three million whales worldwide were killed at the height of the whaling industry. But 20th century laws to protect whales greatly affected the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand by outlawing their traditional practice of harvesting resources from whales that washed up on the beach. Over time, the Māori lost their ancient customs and their deep connection with whales. Māori whale expert and “whale rider” Ramari Stewart has dedicated her life to studying whales and preserving Māori traditions. 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aria-controls="acc-panel-environmental-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Environmental Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-environmental-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-environmental-science" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-ecology" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-ecology" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Ecology </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-ecology" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-ecology" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/biodiversity-i/276">Biodiversity I</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/biodiversity-ii/281">Biodiversity II</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/ecosystem-services/279">Ecosystem Services</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/population-biology/287">Population Biology</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-earth-cycles" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-earth-cycles" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Earth Cycles </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-earth-cycles" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-earth-cycles" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-nitrogen-cycle/98">The Nitrogen Cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-carbon-cycle/95">The Carbon Cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-phosphorus-cycle/197">The Phosphorus Cycle</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-scientific-research" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-scientific-research" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientific Research </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-scientific-research" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-scientific-research" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/collaborative-research-in-the-arctic-towards-understanding-climate-change/183">Collaborative Research in the Arctic Towards Understanding Climate Change</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211">Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-general-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-general-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> General Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-general-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-general-science" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-methods" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-methods" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Methods </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-methods" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-methods" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/general-science/3/the-scientific-method/45">The Scientific Method</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-measurement" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-measurement" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Measurement </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-measurement" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-measurement" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/general-science/3/the-metric-system/47">The Metric System</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-physical-properties" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-physical-properties" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Physical Properties </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-physical-properties" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-physical-properties" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/general-science/3/temperature/48">Temperature</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/general-science/3/density-and-buoyancy/37">Density and Buoyancy</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-math-in-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-math-in-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Math in Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-math-in-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-math-in-science" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-equations" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-equations" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Equations </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-equations" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-equations" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/unit-conversion/144">Unit Conversion</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/linear-equations/194">Linear Equations</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/exponential-equations-i/206">Exponential Equations I</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/exponential-equations-ii/210">Exponential Equations II</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/scientific-notation/250">Scientific Notation</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/measurement/257">Measurement</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-statistics" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-statistics" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Statistics </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-statistics" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-statistics" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/introduction-to-descriptive-statistics/218">Introduction to Descriptive Statistics</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/introduction-to-inferential-statistics/224">Introduction to Inferential Statistics</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/statistical-techniques/239">Statistical Techniques</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-trigonometric-functions" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-trigonometric-functions" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Trigonometric Functions </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-trigonometric-functions" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-trigonometric-functions" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/wave-mathematics/131">Wave Mathematics</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-physics" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-physics" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Physics </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-physics" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-physics" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-light-and-optics" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-light-and-optics" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Light and Optics </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-light-and-optics" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-light-and-optics" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/physics/24/the-nature-of-light/132">The Nature of Light</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/physics/24/electromagnetism-and-light/138">Electromagnetism and Light</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-mechanics" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-mechanics" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Mechanics </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-mechanics" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-mechanics" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/physics/24/defining-energy/199">Defining Energy</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/physics/24/waves-and-wave-motion/102">Waves and Wave Motion</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/physics/24/gravity/118">Gravity</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/physics/24/thermodynamics-i/200">Thermodynamics I</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-process-of-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-process-of-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Process of Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-process-of-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-process-of-science" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-introduction" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-introduction" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Introduction </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-introduction" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-introduction" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/the-process-of-science/176">The Process of Science</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-the-culture-of-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-the-culture-of-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> The Culture of Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-the-culture-of-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-the-culture-of-science" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/the-nature-of-scientific-knowledge/185">The Nature of Scientific Knowledge</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/scientists-and-the-scientific-community/172">Scientists and the Scientific Community</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/scientific-ethics/161">Scientific Ethics</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/scientific-institutions-and-societies/162">Scientific Institutions and Societies</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-ideas-in-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-ideas-in-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Ideas in Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-ideas-in-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-ideas-in-science" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/theories-hypotheses-and-laws/177">Theories, Hypotheses, and Laws</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/scientific-controversy/181">Scientific Controversy</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/creativity-in-science/182">Creativity in Science</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-research-methods" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-research-methods" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Research Methods </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-research-methods" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-research-methods" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/the-practice-of-science/148">The Practice of Science</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/experimentation-in-scientific-research/150">Experimentation in Scientific Research</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/description-in-scientific-research/151">Description in Scientific Research</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/comparison-in-scientific-research/152">Comparison in Scientific Research</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/modeling-in-scientific-research/153">Modeling in Scientific Research</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-data" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-data" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Data </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-data" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-data" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/data-analysis-and-interpretation/154">Data Analysis and Interpretation</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/uncertainty-error-and-confidence/157">Uncertainty, Error, and Confidence</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/statistics-in-science/155">Statistics in Science</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/using-graphs-and-visual-data-in-science/156">Using Graphs and Visual Data in Science</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-scientific-communication" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-scientific-communication" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientific Communication </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-scientific-communication" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-scientific-communication" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/understanding-scientific-journals-and-articles/158">Understanding Scientific Journals and Articles</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/utilizing-the-scientific-literature/173">Utilizing the Scientific Literature</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/peer-review-in-scientific-publishing/159">Peer Review in Scientific Publishing</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/the-how-and-why-of-scientific-meetings/186">The How and Why of Scientific Meetings</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-scientists-and-research" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-scientists-and-research" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientists and Research </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-scientists-and-research" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-scientists-and-research" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-scientific-research" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-scientific-research" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientific Research </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-scientific-research" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-scientific-research" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/collaborative-research-in-the-arctic-towards-understanding-climate-change/183">Collaborative Research in the Arctic Towards Understanding Climate Change</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/from-stable-chromosomes-to-jumping-genes/184">From Stable Chromosomes to Jumping Genes</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/an-elegant-experiment-to-test-the-process-of-dna-replication/187">An Elegant Experiment to Test the Process of DNA Replication</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/the-founding-of-neuroscience/233">The Founding of Neuroscience</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/tracking-endangered-jaguars-across-the-border/189">Tracking Endangered Jaguars across the Border</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211">Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/revolutionizing-medicine-with-monoclonal-antibodies/220">Revolutionizing Medicine with Monoclonal Antibodies</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/uncovering-the-mysteries-of-chronic-mountain-sickness/238">Uncovering the Mysteries of Chronic Mountain Sickness</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-profiles-in-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-profiles-in-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Profiles in Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-profiles-in-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-profiles-in-science" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/luis-e.-miramontes/232">Luis E. Miramontes</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/bernardo-houssay/237">Bernardo Houssay</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/craig-lee/256">Craig Lee</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/david-ho/241">David Ho</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/louis-tompkins-wright/244">Louis Tompkins Wright</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/carlos-j.-finlay/217">Carlos J. Finlay</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/cecilia-payne/290">Cecilia Payne</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/jazmin-scarlett/291">Jazmin Scarlett</a></li> <li class="current">Ramari Stewart</li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/johnson-cerda/300">Johnson Cerda</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ellen-ochoa/201">Ellen Ochoa</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ruth-benerito/205">Ruth Benerito</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/franklin-chang-díaz/219">Franklin Chang Díaz</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/percy-lavon-julian/221">Percy Lavon Julian</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/luis-walter-alvarez/229">Luis Walter Alvarez</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/france-anne-dominic-córdova/230">France Anne-Dominic Córdova</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li>  <button class="button" data-toggle="dropdown">Scientists and Research </button> <div class="nav__dropdown box-shadow-1 padding-1"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary font-size-sm"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-sub-button-scientific-research" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-sub-panel-scientific-research" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientific Research </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-sub-panel-scientific-research" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-sub-button-scientific-research" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/collaborative-research-in-the-arctic-towards-understanding-climate-change/183">Collaborative Research in the Arctic Towards Understanding Climate Change</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/from-stable-chromosomes-to-jumping-genes/184">From Stable Chromosomes to Jumping Genes</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/an-elegant-experiment-to-test-the-process-of-dna-replication/187">An Elegant Experiment to Test the Process of DNA Replication</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/the-founding-of-neuroscience/233">The Founding of Neuroscience</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/tracking-endangered-jaguars-across-the-border/189">Tracking Endangered Jaguars across the Border</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211">Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/revolutionizing-medicine-with-monoclonal-antibodies/220">Revolutionizing Medicine with Monoclonal Antibodies</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/uncovering-the-mysteries-of-chronic-mountain-sickness/238">Uncovering the Mysteries of Chronic Mountain Sickness</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-sub-button-profiles-in-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-sub-panel-profiles-in-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Profiles in Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-sub-panel-profiles-in-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-sub-button-profiles-in-science" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/luis-e.-miramontes/232">Luis E. Miramontes</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/bernardo-houssay/237">Bernardo Houssay</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/craig-lee/256">Craig Lee</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/david-ho/241">David Ho</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/louis-tompkins-wright/244">Louis Tompkins Wright</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/carlos-j.-finlay/217">Carlos J. Finlay</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/cecilia-payne/290">Cecilia Payne</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/jazmin-scarlett/291">Jazmin Scarlett</a></li> <li class="current">Ramari Stewart</li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/johnson-cerda/300">Johnson Cerda</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ellen-ochoa/201">Ellen Ochoa</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ruth-benerito/205">Ruth Benerito</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/franklin-chang-díaz/219">Franklin Chang Díaz</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/percy-lavon-julian/221">Percy Lavon Julian</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/luis-walter-alvarez/229">Luis Walter Alvarez</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/france-anne-dominic-córdova/230">France Anne-Dominic Córdova</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </nav>  <div id="theTop"></div> <main id="skip-header-content"> <div class="margin-bottom-5"> <article class="container wide module"> <header class="grid grid--sidebar-right module__header"> <div class="module__header__title"> <span class="subcategory"> <strong><em>Profiles in Science</em></strong> </span> <h1>Ramari Stewart: <sub><em>Whale expert, at the crossroads of science and tradition</em></sub></h1> <p class="byline">by Bonnie Denmark</p> <nav class="module__header__tabs"> <ul class="tabs-nav tabs-nav--horizontal library"> <li> <a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292/reading" aria-current="page" >Reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292/quiz">Quiz</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292/resources">Teach with this</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </header> <hr class="divider"/>   <div class="grid grid--sidebar-right grid--divider"> <div class="order-2 order-1--lg module__main"> <div class="narrow margin-x-auto margin-y-5"> <div class="accordion margin-bottom-5">  <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-key-concepts" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-key-concepts" aria-expanded="true" tabindex="0"> Did you know? </button> <div class="accordion__panel shown show" id="acc-panel-key-concepts" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-key-concepts" role="region"> <div class="accordion__panel__content"> <p>Did you know that Māori people of New Zealand have always had a deep connection with whales? When Ramari Stewart was 10 years old, she rode a whale and swam with it for hours. Since then, she has dedicated her life to studying marine animals, balancing Western science with indigenous Māori knowledge. Stewart is the first woman and indigenous person to have a marine mammal species named after her.</p> </div> </div>  <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-terms-you-should-know" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-terms-you-should-know" aria-expanded="false" tabindex="0"> Terms you should know </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-terms-you-should-know" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-terms-you-should-know" role="region" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="accordion__panel__content"> <dl> <dt>baleen </dt> <dd> a stiff substance that forms a filter-feeding system in the mouths of certain species of whale </dd> <dt>harvest </dt> <dd> to gather or remove tissues for human use </dd> <dt>indigenous </dt> <dd> original to the area; people who are native to a place </dd> <dt>Māori </dt> <dd> the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand </dd> <dt>Polynesia </dt> <dd> a region in the central and southern Pacific Ocean that includes over a thousand islands</dd> </dl> </div> </div> </div> <hr class="border-color-dark" /> <section> <div class="container narrow"> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Ko ahau te tohorā, te tohorā ko ahau </em></p> <p style="text-align: center;">‘I am the whale, and the whale is me’ (ancient Māori saying)</p> <p>One day, a girl of 10 was riding her horse in the surf when suddenly, a whale surfaced. The horse spooked and swam ashore, and the girl was left hanging onto the whale. She rode the whale and swam with it for hours as it foraged on small bait fish beyond the breakers.</p> <p>If you assumed this was a tall tale, you’d be wrong. The up-close-and-personal whale encounter happened to Ramari Oliphant Stewart, currently in her seventies, who has dedicated her life to studying whales and preserving Māori traditions. Ramari herself is Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand – and at the time, she didn’t realize her whale-riding adventure was extraordinary. “I believed it was quite normal,” she says, “because I’d listened to so many stories about my Māori ancestors, and so at that age, I still believed it was nothing abnormal.”</p> <p>To the Māori, whales are considered sacred, honored in songs and stories since ancient times. According to Māori legend, many centuries ago the great ancestor Paikea came to New Zealand from the Pacific Islands on the back of a whale. Many modern Māori claim to be descendants of Paikea, and there have been numerous stories of Māori “whale riders,” people with a special relationship to whales. Māori historian and cultural advisor Bradford Haami, who is Ramari’s nephew, explains that in the Māori world view, only exceptional people can ride whales: People cannot search out a whale to ride; rather, the creature must present itself to the person (Lowe, 2012).</p> <p>Now a renowned <em>tohunga tohorā,</em> or whale expert, Ramari (Figure 1) says, “What inspired me was the fact that I very quickly learned that I was descended from whale riders and people who interacted with the sea.”</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13063-24020111022955.jpg" alt="Figure 1: Ramari Oliphant Stewart, Māori tohunga tohorā (whale expert), 2020." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 1:</strong> Ramari Oliphant Stewart, Māori tohunga tohorā (whale expert), 2020.</p> <span class="credit">image ©Courtesy of Ramari Stewart. Photo by Grace Ormond.</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="comprehension-checkpoint margin-y-4"> <h6 class="comprehension-checkpoint__header"> <span> <span class="icon icon-question"></span> </span> Comprehension Checkpoint </h6> <form class="" name="cc13064"> <div class="form-entry"> <div class="form-entry__field"> <span class="form-entry__field__label">Māori are ___________.</span> <div class="form-entry__option"> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="correct"> <label> <input id="q1-13064-0-option-a" name="quiz-option-13064" type="radio" value="indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">a.</span> indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-13064-0"> <strong>Correct!</strong> </span> </div> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="incorrect"> <label> <input id="q1-13064-1-option-b" name="quiz-option-13064" type="radio" value="scientists who study whales in New Zealand" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">b.</span> scientists who study whales in New Zealand </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-13064-1"> <strong>Incorrect.</strong> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> <p><section id="toc_1" class=""> <h2>Stewarship</h2></p> <p>The original Māori people came to New Zealand from Eastern Polynesia in double-hulled voyaging canoes and settled there between 1250 and 1350 (Warren et al., 2017; Wilson, 2005). But even before the main settlement <mark class="term" data-term="period" data-term-def="A row of elements in the periodic table." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/period/8565">period</mark> there were many earlier exploratory voyages to and from Aotearoa (New Zealand); Kupe, Maui, and Ui-te-Rangiora were among these early explorers, according to Māori oral history.</p> <p>Over the centuries, the Māori developed a distinctive culture with their own customs and traditions. They survived by hunting, gathering, fishing, and cultivating crops, so a deep connection to the <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark> was necessary for survival. They call themselves “<em>tangata whenua</em>,” people of the land; the traditional practice of burying the <em>whenua</em>, a baby’s placenta, in ancestral land underscores this relationship.</p> <p>A cornerstone of Māori tradition is stewardship or guardianship, centering around the responsibility and care for the environment. Just as the Māori see themselves as <em>kaitiaki</em> (guardians) of the Earth with an obligation to protect and preserve its resources for future <mark class="term" data-term="generation" data-term-def="Offspring at the same step in the line of descent from a common ancestor." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/generation/8293">generations</mark>, they view whales as protectors, guides, and guardians (Rodgers, 2017). Centuries before modern navigation equipment existed, Māori voyagers made long sea journeys between Polynesia and New Zealand (Figure 2), following the paths of migrating whales and often gaining their protection in rough seas.</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13068-24020111023934.png" alt="Figure 2: Polynesian migration patterns." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 2:</strong> Polynesian migration patterns.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polynesian_Migration.svg"> CC BY 4.0 David Eccles</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Even in modern times, Ramari has witnessed the protection of whales while at sea:</p><blockquote class="blockquote"> <p>It’s an amazing experience to find yourself tucked inside a close formation of whales. What they do is break the sea and leave you feeling wonderfully protected.…These were the kaitiaki, or the guardians at sea. It was as if you were physically being carried on the backs of whales. (Webber, 1996)</p> </p></blockquote><p>Māori people accepted stranded whales as a gift from <em>Tangaroa</em>, the sea god. Whales provided meat for food; oil for preservation, paint, and medicine; teeth and bones for weapons and ornaments, (Figure 3); and ambergris (a waxy substance from sperm whale gut) for dental hygiene.</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13072-24020111024411.jpg" alt="Figure 3: Māori woman (circa 1890-1920) wearing traditional clothing and ornaments." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 3:</strong> Māori woman (circa 1890-1920) wearing traditional clothing and ornaments.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Susan,_Rotorua,_New_Zealand,_ca._1905.jpg"> Public domain</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Others realized the <mark class="term" data-term="value" data-term-def="A number that is assigned based on measurement or a calculation. In mathematics, an unknown value that is commonly represented by&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/value/8254">value</mark> of whale resources too – and the whaling industry boomed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Commercial harvests for blubber oil, baleen, teeth, and ambergris resulted in the deaths of nearly three million whales worldwide (Cressey, 2015) and had a large impact on the Māori way of life. American and European whalers sailing to Polynesia and New Zealand for whale harvests introduced new trade opportunities, and some married into Māori families. Many Māori men became whalers as well. In fact, up to half the whalers at New Zealand shore stations were Māori in the late 19th century (Phillips, 2004).</p> <p>The traditional relationship with the whale, their guardian <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark>, was changing.</p></section> <section id="toc_2"> <h2>The devastation of whale populations</h2><p>In the multimillion dollar whaling industry, resources from whales met the demand for numerous industrial <mark class="term" data-term="product" data-term-def="The material that is formed as a result of a chemical reaction. Written on the right side of a chemical equation.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/product/1569">products</mark>. Whale oil was used in soap, lamps (electricity was not common until the mid-20th century), lubrication of machinery, textiles, paint, varnish, and explosives. Baleen, a stiff keratin substance (like fingernails), forms a filter-feeding <mark class="term" data-term="system" data-term-def="A group of interacting, interrelated or interdependent components that form a complex whole. The size of the system is defined for&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/system/3904">system</mark> in the mouths of right whales and other <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark>. You can see the size of right whale baleen in Figure 4. This material was used to stiffen corsets, hoop skirts, collars, and hat brims as well as for fishing rods, venetian blinds, roofing material, umbrella ribs, riding crops, buggy whips, and springs, among other products.</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13076-24020111024728.jpg" alt="Figure 4: Four Men Posing Under Baleen Hanging on the Deck of a Whaleship, undated, shows the size of right whale baleen, a keratin material in the upper jaws of filter-feeding whales." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 4:</strong> <em>Four Men Posing Under Baleen Hanging on the Deck of a Whaleship</em>, undated, shows the size of right whale baleen, a keratin material in the upper jaws of filter-feeding whales.</p> <span class="credit">image ©Courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Since whale oil and baleen were the huge money-makers, the rest of the animal was simply discarded. This unsustainable practice stands in contrast to the traditional Māori <mark class="term" data-term="treatment" data-term-def="In science, a treatment refers to a method for fixing or manipulating an independent variable in the course of scientific research.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/treatment/3799">treatment</mark> of beached whales, in which there was very little waste, and a single whale could provide as much as 10,000 kg (over 22,000 pounds) of meat (Rodgers, 2017).</p> <p>Some whale <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark> were hunted nearly to <mark class="term" data-term="extinction" data-term-def="The complete and permanent loss of all individuals of a species of organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/extinction/5615">extinction</mark> during this time. Before the whaling industry took off full <mark class="term" data-term="scale" data-term-def="An instrument for measuring heat energy or weight in which units are marked at intervals; a system for quantifying heat energy&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/scale/8536">scale</mark>, the New Zealand southern right whale <mark class="term" data-term="population" data-term-def="In biology, the population is all individuals of a certain kind of plant or animal that live in a particular habitat.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/population/8283">population</mark> numbered around 30,000 (28,800–47,100) by some estimates, but at their lowest point only 30 to 40 <mark class="term" data-term="breeding" data-term-def="The production of offspring; the propagation of plants or animals by sexual means." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/breeding/8291">breeding</mark> females remained. Even the name “right whale” came from the whaling industry. In addition to their plentiful oil and blubber, they were slow, fed close to the <mark class="term" data-term="surface" data-term-def="The outside or external part; the topside face of something." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/surface/8275">surface</mark>, and floated when killed – hence they were the “right” species for whalers to target (Jackson et al., 2016). Although some whale populations have recovered, others have not fared so well. Like the New Zealand Southern right whale, North Atlantic right whales still count among the critically endangered. And sperm whales (Figure 5) may be at only one third of their pre-whaling number (WWF UK, 2020; <mark class="term" data-term="NOAA" data-term-def="National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/NOAA/5545">NOAA</mark>, 31 May 2023).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13078-24020111024907.jpeg" alt="Figure 5: A mother sperm whale and her calf. Sperm whales, the largest toothed predator on Earth, were a prime target for whalers. Adult male sperm whales reach 18 meters (close to 60 feet) in length. " /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 5:</strong> A mother sperm whale and her calf. Sperm whales, the largest toothed predator on Earth, were a prime target for whalers. Adult male sperm whales reach 18 meters (close to 60 feet) in length. </p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mother_and_baby_sperm_whale.jpg"> CC BY-SA 2.0 Gabriel Barathieu</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>The world took note, and by 1925, the League of Nations recognized the need to curb whaling activities. In 1946, fifteen countries formed the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to prevent overhunting; today there are 88 member nations. In 1961, the World Wildlife Fund launched international “Save the Whales” campaigns. The U.S. officially outlawed whaling in 1971 and several countries followed suit, including New Zealand with the Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1978. Commercial whaling was banned internationally in 1986, although a few countries have taken exception and continue the practice (NOAA, 14 August 2023).</p> <div class="comprehension-checkpoint margin-y-4"> <h6 class="comprehension-checkpoint__header"> <span> <span class="icon icon-question"></span> </span> Comprehension Checkpoint </h6> <form class="" name="cc13080"> <div class="form-entry"> <div class="form-entry__field"> <span class="form-entry__field__label">Right whales were hunted primarily for ________.</span> <div class="form-entry__option"> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="incorrect"> <label> <input id="q1-13080-0-option-a" name="quiz-option-13080" type="radio" value="meat" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">a.</span> meat </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-13080-0"> <strong>Incorrect.</strong> </span> </div> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="correct"> <label> <input id="q1-13080-1-option-b" name="quiz-option-13080" type="radio" value="oil and baleen" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">b.</span> oil and baleen </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-13080-1"> <strong>Correct!</strong> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </section> <section id="toc_3"> <h2>Age-old cultural practice deemed illegal</h2><p>Harvesting resources from dead whales is an ancient Māori customary practice, accomplished with respect, gratitude, and skill. Working with whale carcasses requires strict safety protocols, as they begin to <mark class="term" data-term="decompose" data-term-def="To break up into constituent parts by or as if by a chemical process; to rot." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/decompose/2185">decompose</mark> quickly, posing a biohazard risk – even exploding. The practice of recovering whale resources was passed from <mark class="term" data-term="generation" data-term-def="Offspring at the same step in the line of descent from a common ancestor." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/generation/8293">generation</mark> to generation since ancient times. And Ramari Stewart became an expert, having learned from her elders.</p> <p>Ramari has gone to great lengths to study the marine life with which she feels a profound connection, traveling the world to accumulate both traditional and Western scientific knowledge. When she was in her twenties, her career as an intensive care nurse allowed her to travel to Polynesia and Australia in search of humpback whales (Figure 6).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13083-24020111025228.jpeg" alt="Figure 6: Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), a species of baleen whale." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 6:</strong> Humpback whale (<em>Megaptera novaeangliae</em>), a species of baleen whale.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Humpback_Whale_underwater_shot.jpg"> Public domain</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>When she returned to New Zealand, a <mark class="term" data-term="group" data-term-def="A column of elements in the periodic table." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/group/8566">group</mark> of indigenous locals – Ramari among them – responded to a <mark class="term" data-term="mass" data-term-def="A fundamental property of matter which is a numerical measure of the inertia of an object or the amount of matter&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/mass/3417">mass</mark> pilot whale stranding. Prepared to harvest the remains of the large group of whales, they were instead met with heavy machinery at the scene to bury the whales. Authorities were responding to the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 and barred everyone from getting near the whales. The new legislation meant that for the first time in her life, Ramari was forbidden access to any whales, living or dead, for traditional cultural use.</p> <p>In an effort to protect whales, the Marine Mammals Protection Act regulated what could or could not be done with them – and in the <mark class="term" data-term="process" data-term-def="Method, procedure; series of actions or steps." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/process/8256">process</mark> criminalized the Māori’s customary practice of recovering resources from beached whales. It was suddenly illegal to do anything with whales unless you had a permit (Tipa, 2014). So, Ramari knocked on the door of former Minister of Fisheries Duncan MacIntyre and asked for a marine mammal <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark> permit.</p> <p>Two years later, permit in hand, Ramari’s <mark class="term" data-term="work" data-term-def="A process that occurs when a force acts over a distance, as when an object is moved. Work equals the multiple&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/work/1502">work</mark> as a card-carrying whale researcher began, as did her work to bring about a revival in applying indigenous knowledge and practices to document the relationship of whales to the <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark> and its people.</p></section> <section id="toc_4"> <h2>Ramari’s life as a whale researcher</h2><p>In the late 1970s, Ramari built her own catamaran and spent three-and-a-half years studying a resident <mark class="term" data-term="population" data-term-def="In biology, the population is all individuals of a certain kind of plant or animal that live in a particular habitat.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/population/8283">population</mark> of common dolphins from an uninhabited island called Moutohora (Whale Island) in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand (Figure 7). This was the first long-term dolphin study in New Zealand. Ramari says of those years, “I was a bit like <mark class="term" data-term="Jane Goodall" data-term-def="English primatologist and anthropologist, born in London (1934-). Goodall is famous for her ground-breaking 45-year study of chimpanzee family and social&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/Goodall%2C+Jane/4495">Jane Goodall</mark> living with the apes.”</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13087-24020111025540.jpeg" alt="Figure 7: Moutohora, or Whale Island. Ramari Stewart conducted a three-and-a-half-year study of dolphins on this uninhabited island off the coast of New Zealand." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 7:</strong> Moutohora, or Whale Island. Ramari Stewart conducted a three-and-a-half-year study of dolphins on this uninhabited island off the coast of New Zealand.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whale_Moutohora_Island.JPG"> CC BY-SA 4.0 LawrieM</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>She also built her own house in a small village on a remote stretch of the South island’s Tasman Sea coastline while working as a science technician in the bush (Morris, 2020). In the late 1980s to early 1990s, she spent six years on deep water fishing vessels as a Scientific Observer. “Not only did I have a wonderful time observing all the marine birds and whales at sea,” she says, “but also with the fish they were catching, so I was finding new <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark> or rare species.” She thrived on the experience because of “that inquiring sort of a mind, and I very quickly recognized anything that was unusual.”</p> <p>Ramari’s keen <mark class="term" data-term="observation" data-term-def="1. The act of noticing something. 2. A record of that which has been noticed." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/observation/8255">observation</mark> and <mark class="term" data-term="data" data-term-def="(plural form of <b>datum</b>) A collection of pieces of information, generally taking the form of numbers, text, bits, or facts, that&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/data/3729">data</mark> collection skills have contributed to the body of scientific knowledge about marine mammals, and her inquisitive nature served as a <mark class="term" data-term="catalyst" data-term-def="A substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction but that is not used up in the process." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/catalyst/8234">catalyst</mark> for many new adventures. After learning that Southern right whales (<em>Eubalaena australis</em>, a species of baleen whale) wintered at sub-Antarctic Campbell Island, she took a job in 1982 as a cook and medic at a weather station there.</p> <p>Remote, uninhabited Campbell Island is a rough four-day boat trip from Wellington, New Zealand (Figure 8). “In those days, women didn’t go to remote places with a dozen men for 12 months,” she says. “It was quite hard to convince the interview panel. But I did.” (Morris, 2020).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13089-24020111025754.jpeg" alt="Figure 8: View of the summer landscape on Campbell Island." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 8:</strong> View of the summer landscape on Campbell Island.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell_Island,_New_Zealand#/media/File:Campbell_Island_Landscape.jpg"> Public domain</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>The demands of Ramari’s job left her little time to study whales, so she returned in the mid- 1990s, leading three scientific expeditions to Campbell Island. A small solitary tin hut in Northwest Bay with no insulation, electricity, or running water serviced the winter camp that the team called home during their stays (Davis, 1998).</p></section> <section id="toc_5"> <h2>A foot in two worlds</h2><p>Ramari’s life has been a balancing act between the indigenous world she was born into and that of Western science. She grew up in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, and is affiliated with the Ngāti Awa, Rongomaiwahine, and Ngāti Mahuta tribes. With an English mother and a Māori father, she has straddled two worlds throughout her life: living under the <mark class="term" data-term="law" data-term-def="In science, a principle that describes a phenomenon, often mathematically." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/law/8686">laws</mark> of the British Crown (New Zealand was a British colony) while living out Māori customs and having to reconcile Western science with Māori traditional knowledge.</p> <p>She applied both Western scientific techniques and traditional Māori knowledge to study Southern right whales and other wildlife on Campbell Island, including albatrosses, sea lions, and yellow-eyed penguins. Western scientific techniques are characterized by recorded <mark class="term" data-term="data" data-term-def="(plural form of <b>datum</b>) A collection of pieces of information, generally taking the form of numbers, text, bits, or facts, that&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/data/3729">data</mark> and reproducible results, and while on Campbell Island, she took meticulous notes and counted individuals, carefully coordinating with her team to avoid double counts. When weather permitted, they went out in two 3-meter (9.8-foot) boats to observe and photograph the whales at close range. (You can read about the importance of descriptive <mark class="term" data-term="record" data-term-def="A written account or description. <br> <b>[verb]</b> To write an account or description." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/record/8239">records</mark> in building scientific knowledge in our module <a href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Process-of-Science/49/Description-in-Scientific-Research/151">Description in Scientific Research</a>.)</p> <p>But Ramari also relies on traditional knowledge and skills to observe animals. Her elders mentored her in <em>mātauranga Māori</em>, traditional Māori knowledge of the natural world. She also has a deep knowledge of medicinal plants and of connecting with the land and animals. She explains:</p><blockquote class="blockquote"> <p>It is about developing your senses, and your ability to perceive your environment and survive in it – but most importantly, your ability to be part of that environment, not separate from it. It promoted in me a profound sense of kinship with the environment. I regard all life as my <em>tuakana</em>, my elders.</p> </p></blockquote><p>On Campbell Island, she conducted a census of one of the most endangered <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark> of sea lion: Hooker’s sea lions (Figure 9), now called New Zealand sea lions. But she first needed to be “accepted as a guest,” so she put her lifetime of traditional learning to <mark class="term" data-term="work" data-term-def="A process that occurs when a force acts over a distance, as when an object is moved. Work equals the multiple&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/work/1502">work</mark> (Webber, 1996). Māori people were traditionally hunter-gatherers and gardeners, and her family depended on these skills to survive. Relying on ancient Māori skills, Ramari has an uncanny ability to find the animals in rugged terrain. When taking a census of sea lions on Campbell Island, she spent many hours sitting and listening, crawling around under the <mark class="term" data-term="dense" data-term-def="Compact, packed close together; having a high mass in relation to volume." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/dense/8273">dense</mark> scrub, and climbing high peaks – work suited only to the physically fit and very patient!</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13095-24020112020255.jpeg" alt="Figure 9: While studying Hooker’s sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri), an endangered species, Ramari came to know their individual personalities." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 9:</strong> While studying Hooker’s sea lions (<em>Phocarctos hookeri</em>), an endangered species, Ramari came to know their individual personalities.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Zealand_Sea_Lion_(43211775290).jpg"> CC BY 2.0 Katja Shulz</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>She was able to approach the animals on the island at surprisingly close range. “All animals are individuals, and some are real characters,” she says. She came to recognize their distinct behaviors and personalities. The sea lions accepted her – she knew which ones were curious and playful and which were stubborn and ill-tempered.</p><blockquote class="blockquote"> <p>As a hunter-gather, you needed to understand your environment, what made it work, how you fit in. And to be a successful hunter, you really had to understand your quarry. You had to think like them. I’m still a hunter – without a gun. (Ramari Stewart in Webber, 1996)</p> </p></blockquote><p>In a 2020 interview on Te Ao Māori News, Ramari said, “It’s not been easy walking in two worlds. Western science has struggled to understand indigenous thinking around mātauranga Māori.”</p> <p>But actually, mātauranga Māori – traditional Māori knowledge – has much in common with Western science. Both approaches require <mark class="term" data-term="observation" data-term-def="1. The act of noticing something. 2. A record of that which has been noticed." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/observation/8255">observation</mark>, <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark>, asking questions, and making connections. “Our ancestors had to do it all the time,” Ramari says. (You can read more about the processes involved in building knowledge and making discoveries in our module <a href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Process-of-Science/49/The-Nature-of-Scientific-Knowledge/185">The Nature of Scientific Knowledge</a>.)</p> <p>She perceives the main difference as one of focus. Ramari (Figure 10) sees herself as a naturalist in harmony with her traditional Māori roots, using indigenous knowledge to explore the relationship of marine creatures in the environment: “As a naturalist, you see the <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark> as a whole, whereas a scientist tends to specialize in one particular <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark> or subject” (Te Ao Māori News, 2020).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13099-24020112020712.jpg" alt="Figure 10: Ramari Stewart in the field." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 10:</strong> Ramari Stewart in the field.</p> <span class="credit">image ©Courtesy of Ramari Stewart. Photo by Qianne Matata-Sipu, NUKU Stories of 100 Indigenous women.</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="comprehension-checkpoint margin-y-4"> <h6 class="comprehension-checkpoint__header"> <span> <span class="icon icon-question"></span> </span> Comprehension Checkpoint </h6> <form class="" name="cc13100"> <div class="form-entry"> <div class="form-entry__field"> <span class="form-entry__field__label">Traditional Māori knowledge and Western science have some aspects in common.</span> <div class="form-entry__option"> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="correct"> <label> <input id="q1-13100-0-option-a" name="quiz-option-13100" type="radio" value="True" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">a.</span> True </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-13100-0"> <strong>Correct!</strong> </span> </div> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="incorrect"> <label> <input id="q1-13100-1-option-b" name="quiz-option-13100" type="radio" value="False" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">b.</span> False </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-13100-1"> <strong>Incorrect.</strong> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </section> <section id="toc_6"> <h2>Restoring tribal rights</h2><p>Many modern Māori have lost the connection to the <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark> that once was vital to their very survival, in no small part due to the Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1978. Having been denied access to marine mammals for cultural use, the interconnectedness of the Māori to whales became tenuous.</p> <p>The Act was challenged on grounds that it violated the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document. The treaty, signed in 1840, was an agreement between the British Crown and Māori chiefs (Figure 11) that affirms the use of marine mammal resources as an important traditional right. Along with the <mark class="term" data-term="conservation" data-term-def="Careful use of natural resources to minimize waste or damage to the natural world and to maintain natural resources for long-term&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/conservation/5592">Conservation</mark> Act of 1987, the treaty recognizes the cultural, spiritual, historical, and traditional association of Māori people with marine mammals and grants them permission to carry out traditional practices with these animals (Ministry for Culture, 2017; Tipa, 2014).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13103-24020112020930.jpeg" alt="Figure 11: Depiction of signing the Treaty of Waitingi in 1840, which brought New Zealand and the Māori into the British Empire." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 11:</strong> Depiction of signing the Treaty of Waitingi in 1840, which brought New Zealand and the Māori into the British Empire.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reconstruction_of_the_Signing_of_the_Treaty_of_Waitangi,_Marcus_King_(16044258961).jpg"> CC BY-SA 2.0 Archives New Zealand</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Finally, in 1998, tribal rights to the carcasses of beached whales were largely restored (Gillespie, 1999, in Rodgers, 2017). But for 20 years the Māori were barred from harvesting whales, so traditional whale recovery was at the brink of becoming a lost indigenous practice.</p></section> <section id="toc_7"> <h2>Whale stranding capital</h2><p>New Zealand has the dubious distinction of being the whale stranding capital of the world. Although the exact cause is unknown, the phenomenon is due in part to the wide range of whale <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark> found off the New Zealand coast. Further, <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change has had a major impact on the marine <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark>, just as it has on other <mark class="term" data-term="ecosystem" data-term-def="The complex of a community of organisms and its environment, functioning as a unit." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ecosystem/2174">ecosystems</mark> that plants and animals depend on. With warmer water temperatures, food sources move to shallower water, which can lead to the beaching of whales (Lu, 2022). (You can read about the effect of climate change on a different species in our <a href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Biology/2/Animal-Ecology/283">Animal Ecology</a> and<a href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Biology/2/Biodiversity-II/281"> <mark class="term" data-term="biodiversity" data-term-def="The variety and abundance of life and its ecological context, including the different kinds of organisms, the numbers of species, the&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/biodiversity/875">Biodiversity</mark> II: Change</a> modules.)</p> <p>In 2014, a family of 40 pilot whales was stranded in Ohiwa, New Zealand, and sadly perished. The local <em>iwi</em> (Māori tribal members) secured the remains, and Ramari oversaw the year-long operation to prepare the skulls for <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark>. The <em>marae</em>, a traditional gathering place (Figure 12), was converted to a research lab where iwi Māori and scientists came together to measure and <mark class="term" data-term="record" data-term-def="A written account or description. <br> <b>[verb]</b> To write an account or description." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/record/8239">record</mark> the <mark class="term" data-term="data" data-term-def="(plural form of <b>datum</b>) A collection of pieces of information, generally taking the form of numbers, text, bits, or facts, that&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/data/3729">data</mark> from each skull. This type of data collection is critical to understanding species and their <mark class="term" data-term="habitat" data-term-def="The place or type of environment where a wild plant, animal, or other organism naturally lives or grows." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/habitat/5593">habitat</mark>, food sources, range, migration, and threats (see our <a href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Process-of-Science/49/Data-Analysis-and-Interpretation/154">Data <mark class="term" data-term="analysis" data-term-def="The careful study of data to look for patterns." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/analysis/8553">Analysis</mark> and Interpretation</a> module.).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13107-24020112021412.jpeg" alt="Figure 12: A Māori marae, or community gathering place." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 12:</strong> A Māori <em>marae</em>, or community gathering place.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waiwhetu_Marae_including_te_waharoa.JPG"> CC BY-SA 4.0 Stuartyeates</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </section> <section id="toc_8"> <h2>Ramari’s role in the whale place</h2><p>By leading the recovery of the pilot whale skulls, Ramari has helped her people reconnect with their customary whale practices. The Māori researchers gained significant knowledge as the <em>kaitiaki</em> (guardians) of this stranding event. Ramari says of the undertaking: “It’s brought this place alive. It’s the whale place now. It just gives us back our empathy with the whale, which we lost.”</p> <p>In recent years, indigenous Māori knowledge has been a growing part of <mark class="term" data-term="conservation" data-term-def="Careful use of natural resources to minimize waste or damage to the natural world and to maintain natural resources for long-term&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/conservation/5592">conservation</mark> practices in New Zealand, and Ramari’s contributions have not gone unnoticed. In 2020, she was honored with the New Zealand Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II to “recognize outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand” for services to Māori culture and wildlife conservation and <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark> (Figure 13). And in 2022, Ramari was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science <mark class="term" data-term="degree" data-term-def="[<strong>temperature</strong>] One graduated unit of measure on a Fahrenheit or Celsius temperature scale. On the Kelvin scale, graduations are called Kelvins. <br> <br> [<strong>geometry</strong>]&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/degree/8535">degree</mark> by the University of Auckland, New Zealand, with whom she has partnered in research for more than three decades.</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13110-24020112021635.jpeg" alt="Figure 13: Ramari Stewart was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit as part of the 2020 Birthday Honors of Queen Elizabeth II. The award recognized Ramari’s indigenous whale research." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 13:</strong> Ramari Stewart was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit as part of the 2020 Birthday Honors of Queen Elizabeth II. The award recognized Ramari’s indigenous whale research.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ramari_Stewart_MNZM.jpg"> CC BY 4.0 New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>But her greatest honor has resulted from a lifetime of observing, studying, respecting, recording, utilizing, and communing with whales: She identified a new <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark> of whale.</p></section> <section id="toc_9"> <h2>Ramari's beaked whale</h2><p>Besides being her given name, “Ramari” <mark class="term" data-term="mean" data-term-def="In statistics, mean commonly refers to the arithmetic mean, also called the average, which is one measure of the mid-point of&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/mean/4221">means</mark> “that which is associated with an unusual event” in the Māori language, so it is fitting that the naturalist who has devoted her life to the study of whales and has a deep cultural and spiritual connection to them came upon a <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark> of whale that has rarely been glimpsed by humans.</p> <p>The ocean, as mysterious as it is deep, is described as Earth’s “last major ecological frontier” (Carroll et al., 2021). The sea constitutes nine-tenths of Earth’s habitable space, and a quarter million known species call it home. However, much marine <mark class="term" data-term="biodiversity" data-term-def="The variety and abundance of life and its ecological context, including the different kinds of organisms, the numbers of species, the&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/biodiversity/875">biodiversity</mark> is yet to be discovered. And when a pregnant beaked whale washed up dead on the west coast of South Island, New Zealand, Ramari realized it was something she had never seen before, a previously unrecognized species.</p> <p>Little is known about beaked whales, who prefer to stay offshore in the vicinity of deepwater canyons. Some species of beaked whale are known only from a few partial skeletons. The whale that had washed up on South Island was first believed to be a True’s beaked whale (named after Frederick True, who described the species in 1913 after one was stranded in North Carolina, U.S.). But, Ramari noted, “When the whale turned up, I knew it was something different. I hadn’t seen it before. I just kept the pressure on with the Department of <mark class="term" data-term="conservation" data-term-def="Careful use of natural resources to minimize waste or damage to the natural world and to maintain natural resources for long-term&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/conservation/5592">Conservation</mark> that this whale is special” (Hall, 2021).</p> <p>Ramari did the painstaking <mark class="term" data-term="work" data-term-def="A process that occurs when a force acts over a distance, as when an object is moved. Work equals the multiple&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/work/1502">work</mark> of recovering and preparing the whale’s skeleton, which along with its fetus is now at the national Museum of New Zealand/Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington (Figure 14).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13115-24020112022038.jpg" alt="Figure 14: Ramari Stewart holding the prepared skull of Ramari’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon eueu). " /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 14:</strong> Ramari Stewart holding the prepared skull of Ramari’s beaked whale (<em>Mesoplodon eueu</em>). </p> <span class="credit">image ©Image courtesy of Ramari Stewart. Photo by Tanya Cumberland.</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Further study by a team of researchers at Auckland University verified what Ramari knew from her long experience with whales: that it was indeed something special. The university researchers took skull measurements and performed genetic testing. Both <mark class="term" data-term="method" data-term-def="A procedure or process; a systematic way of performing a task or conducting research." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/method/8238">methods</mark> established that Ramari’s beaked whale was not a subspecies of the North Atlantic beaked whale but rather a distinct Southern hemisphere <mark class="term" data-term="species" data-term-def="1. In biological classifications, it is the lowest and most basic unit of the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy (although it is also&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/species/893">species</mark>. Measurements showed that male and female Ramari’s beaked whales are of similar size, while male True’s beaked whales are larger than the females. Further, the two species have distinguishing skull and jaw features. A genetic <mark class="term" data-term="analysis" data-term-def="The careful study of data to look for patterns." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/analysis/8553">analysis</mark> of mitochondrial <mark class="term" data-term="DNA" data-term-def="Deoxyribonucleic acid. A double-stranded nucleic acid containing the sugar 2-deoxy-D-ribose. A constituent of cellular nuclear material responsible for encoding&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/DNA/1604">DNA</mark> then confirmed that they were different species that diverged approximately two million years ago (Carroll et al., 2021). (You can learn more about species <mark class="term" data-term="biodiversity" data-term-def="The variety and abundance of life and its ecological context, including the different kinds of organisms, the numbers of species, the&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/biodiversity/875">biodiversity</mark> in our module <a href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Biology/2/Biodiversity-I/276">Biodiversity I: Patterning</a>).</p> <p>The scientific community agreed that this newly discovered whale species should be named “Ramari’s beaked whale” (<em>Mesoplodon eueu</em>) after Ramari Stewart (Figure 15). She is the first woman as well as the first indigenous person to have a marine mammal species named in her honor.</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13117-24020112022354.jpeg" alt="Figure 15: Ramari’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon eueu), a newly discovered species named after Ramari Stewart." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 15:</strong> Ramari’s beaked whale (<em>Mesoplodon eueu</em>), a newly discovered species named after Ramari Stewart.</p> <span class="credit">image ©<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mesoplodon_eueu.jpg"> CC BY-SA 4.0 Vivian Ward</a> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="comprehension-checkpoint margin-y-4"> <h6 class="comprehension-checkpoint__header"> <span> <span class="icon icon-question"></span> </span> Comprehension Checkpoint </h6> <form class="" name="cc13118"> <div class="form-entry"> <div class="form-entry__field"> <span class="form-entry__field__label">“Ramari’s beaked whale” is another name for “True’s beaked whale.” </span> <div class="form-entry__option"> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="incorrect"> <label> <input id="q1-13118-0-option-a" name="quiz-option-13118" type="radio" value="True" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">a.</span> True </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-13118-0"> <strong>Incorrect.</strong> </span> </div> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="correct"> <label> <input id="q1-13118-1-option-b" name="quiz-option-13118" type="radio" value="False" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">b.</span> False </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-13118-1"> <strong>Correct!</strong> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </section> <section id="toc_10"> <h2>Keeping tradition alive</h2><p>An important part of Māori survival and culture long centered on the recovery and use of stranded whales. Ramari is called in to strandings as the foremost expert on preparing whale bones for <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark>, museums, and traditional Māori use (Figure 16). Her knowledge of whales comes not only from scientific study and <mark class="term" data-term="observation" data-term-def="1. The act of noticing something. 2. A record of that which has been noticed." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/observation/8255">observation</mark> but from stories, songs, participation in whale strandings, and teachings passed down orally by elders through many <mark class="term" data-term="generation" data-term-def="Offspring at the same step in the line of descent from a common ancestor." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/generation/8293">generations</mark>.</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid292/Image/VLObject13121-24020112022644.jpg" alt="Figure 16: Ramari Stewart is called to whale strandings as the foremost expert in the recovery of beached whales." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 16:</strong> Ramari Stewart is called to whale strandings as the foremost expert in the recovery of beached whales.</p> <span class="credit">image ©Courtesy of Ramari Stewart. Department of Conservation photo.</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Ramari is dedicated to keeping traditional knowledge alive so it doesn’t die with older <mark class="term" data-term="generation" data-term-def="Offspring at the same step in the line of descent from a common ancestor." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/generation/8293">generations</mark>. She <mark class="term" data-term="work" data-term-def="A process that occurs when a force acts over a distance, as when an object is moved. Work equals the multiple&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/work/1502">works</mark> to increase awareness of traditional ways and to reintroduce and reinforce the traditional <mark class="term" data-term="bond" data-term-def="The force that holds together units such as atoms or molecules. <br> <b>[verb]</b> To hold or fasten units such as atoms or molecules together." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/bond/8297">bonds</mark> with whales: “Besides helping Māori to recover a resource, the main thing is to try and restore some of our traditions with the whales,” Ramari told <em>New Zealand Geographic</em> magazine (Morris, 2020).</p> <p>It has been a long and not always smooth road, as she expressed in a 2022 speech when she received her doctorate from the University of Auckland:</p><blockquote class="blockquote"> <p>To be honest, the marginalization of people’s response to you because you are different made me what I am, and I’m very proud of it. And I’m very proud to leave a legacy that will hopefully encourage other young Māori to think about it. Our ancestors were great researchers. And their knowledge – we’ve lost so much of it, but it will live on if we can uphold the practices. (“Whaea Ramari,” 2022)</p> </p></blockquote></section> <section id="toc_11"> <h2>Bringing perspectives together</h2><p>Today, traditional indigenous knowledge is increasingly accepted as valuable, and incorporated into scientific and <mark class="term" data-term="conservation" data-term-def="Careful use of natural resources to minimize waste or damage to the natural world and to maintain natural resources for long-term&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/conservation/5592">conservation</mark> practices. New Zealand’s Department of Conservation must now consult Māori tribal leaders in planning and decision-making (Tipa, 2014). The Māori people also benefit when scientists form relationships with Iwi communities and tie <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark> to the experiences of the people. When science applies existing knowledge and keeps traditional practices in place, knowledge of the natural world grows. New Zealand ethnobiologist and conservation biologist Priscilla M. Wehi says, “I think the beauty of mātauranga is that it’s another way, a very powerful way, of linking people to places, to practices, and to a deeper understanding of the world that we live in” (Turnbull, 2020).</p> <p>Today there is greater recognition of the importance of collaboration to ensure the protection and respect of traditional knowledge and culture. Ramari said in a 2021 University of Auckland interview,</p><blockquote class="blockquote"> <p>It's wonderful that Western science is starting to recognize that mātauranga Māori is equally as great as Western science and the two can work together. Rather than just bridging a relationship and taking knowledge from Indigenous practitioners, it is better that we both sit at the table.</p> </p></blockquote><p>This is true not only of the Māori people in New Zealand. Around the world, indigenous traditions are informing the world of science in many areas, from plant medicine deep in the Amazon rainforest to sustainable food harvesting in the Pacific Northwest to archaeological finds in the U.S. and Canada. (Read more about cooperative partnerships between scientists and indigenous tribes in our module <a href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Scientists-and-Research/58/Craig-Lee/256">Craig Lee: <mark class="term" data-term="ice patch" data-term-def="An area of snow and ice in a high elevation area that never completely thaws. Unlike glaciers, ice patches do not&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ice+patch/10577">Ice Patch</mark> Archaeologist</a>.) Scientists and indigenous knowledge holders now sit at the table together, acknowledging the <mark class="term" data-term="value" data-term-def="A number that is assigned based on measurement or a calculation. In mathematics, an unknown value that is commonly represented by&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/value/8254">value</mark> of working together to further our understanding of the natural world.</p> </div> </section> <hr class="border-color-dark" /> <footer class="module__footer"> <p class="citation"> <em> Bonnie Denmark “Ramari Stewart” Visionlearning Vol. SCIRE-3 (8), 2024. </em> </p>  <div class="title-list" id="refs" name="refs"> <p class="h6 title-list__title"> References </p> <ul class="title-list__list"> <li><p></li> <li>Carroll, E. L., McGowen, M. R., McCarthy, M. L., Marx, F. G., Aguilar, N., Dalebout, M. L., Dreyer, S., Gaggiotti, O. E., Hansen, S. S., van Helden, A., Onoufriou, A. B., Baird, R. W., Baker, C. S., Berrow, S., Cholewiak, D., Claridge, D., Constantine, R., Davison, N., Eira, C., . . . Olsen, M. T. (2021). Speciation in the deep: genomics and morphology reveal a new species of beaked whale <em>Mesoplodon eueu</em>. <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society.</em> 288: 20211213. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1213</li> <li>Cressey, D. (12 March 2015). World's whaling slaughter tallied at 3 million. <em>Nature/Scientific American.</em> https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/world-s-whaling-slaughter-tallied-at-3-million/</li> <li>Davis, K. (1998, Oct.-Dec.). Whales out my window. <em>New Zealand Geographic.</em> Issue 040. https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/whales-out-my-window/</li> <li>Hall, D. (October 2021). Tohunga tohorā’s intuition reveals new whale species. <em>Smithsonian Ocean.</em> https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/marine-mammals/tohunga-tohoras-intuition-reveals-new-whale-species</li> <li>Jackson, J. A., Carroll, E. L., Smith, T. D., Zerbini, A. N., Patenaude, N. J., & Baker, C. S. (2016). An integrated approach to historical population assessment of the great whales: case of the New Zealand southern right whale. <em>Royal Society Open Science,</em> March 2016, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150669</li> <li>Lowe, C. (2012). <em>Tere Tohorā Tere Tangata: Where Whales Journey, People Follow</em> (Thesis). Harvard College. https://www.academia.edu/8029367/Tere_Tohora_Tere_Tangata_Where_Whales_Journey_People_Follow</li> <li>Lu, D. (22 September 2022). Whale strandings: What happens after they die and how do authorities safely dispose of them? <em>The Guardian.</em> https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/23/whale-strandings-what-happens-after-they-die-and-how-do-authorities-safely-dispose-of-them</li> <li>Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2017). The treaty in brief. <em>New Zealand History.</em> https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/treaty/the-treaty-in-brief</li> <li>Morris, B. (Mar-April 2020). Call of the whales: Ramari Stewart on keeping traditions alive. <em>New Zealand Geographic,</em> Issue 162. https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/call-of-the-whales/</li> <li>NOAA Fisheries. (4 August 2023). <em>International Whaling Commission.</em> International Whaling Commission | NOAA Fisheries</li> <li>NOAA Fisheries. (31 May 2023). <em>North Atlantic right whale.</em> https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/north-atlantic-right-whale</li> <li>Phillips, J. (2006). Whaling - Māori and whaling: Page 4. Māori and whaling. Te Ara - <em>The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.</em> https://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/whaling/page-4</li> <li>Rodgers, R. P. (2017). The connection of Māori to whales. <em>UC Library.</em> https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/a43f3a84-df1e-4f0e-8eed-81460a3a0eee/content</li> <li>Te Ao Māori News. (20 August 2020). Meet the Tohunga Tohorā - the expert preserving whale traditions [Television series episode]. <em>Te Ao With Moana.</em> https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2689291254655660</li> <li><em>Te Karere TVNZ</em> [Television series]. (2014). Māori urged to revive customary whaling traditions [Television series episode]. Television New Zealand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH0W2GBXxLM&t=25s</li> <li>Tipa, R. (2014). The Science of Strandings. <em>Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (The Council of Ngāi Tahu).</em> https://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/our_stories/science-strandings/</li> <li>Turnbull, A. (2020). Mātauranga and the integration of Māori and western knowledge. <em>Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao.</em> New Zealand Government. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2858-matauranga-and-the-integration-of-maori-and-western-knowledge</li> <li>University of Auckland. (2021). New whale species to be named after Mātauranga Māori whale expert. <em>Phys.org.</em> https://phys.org/news/2021-11-whale-species-mtauranga-mori-expert.html</li> <li>Waatea News (2 November 2021). Paakiwaha interview: Bradford Haami. https://waateanews.com/2021/11/02/paakiwaha-interview-bradford-haami/</li> <li>Walters, R., Buckley, H., Jacomb, C., & Matisoo-Smith, E. (7 October 2017). Mass migration and the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand. <em>Journal of World Prehistory.</em> 30 (4): 351–376. doi:10.1007/s10963-017-9110-y.</li> <li>Webber, A. (Producer), Anderson, J. (Director), & Johnstone, I. (Writer). (1996). <em>A whale out my window </em>[Television documentary]. NZ On Screen. https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/whale-out-my-window-1996</li> <li>“Whaea Ramari receiving her honorary Doctorate of Science at the University of Auckland.” (28 August 2022). Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/100022833127248/videos/477072393970571/</li> <li>Wilson, J. (8 Feb 2005). History: Page 1. Māori arrival and settlement. <em>Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.</em> http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/history/page-1</li> <li>WWF UK. (2020). Remarkable numbers of Antarctic blue whales sighted in South Georgia. https://www.wwf.org.uk/success-stories/antarctic-blue-whales</li> </ul> </div>  <div class="title-list" name="further"> <p class="h6 title-list__title"> Further Reading </p> <ul class="grid grid--column-2--md grid--column-3--md gap-1"> <li> <a class="no-hover-focus height-100" href="/en/library/Biology/2/Animal-Ecology/283"> <article class="flex-row align-items-center flex-column--md align-items-start--md height-100 theme-light padding-2 gap-2"> <div class="width-30 width-auto--md"> <img class="border-radius box-shadow-1" src="/img/library/moduleImages/featured_image_283-23061209063916.jpg" alt="Animal Ecology"> </div> <div class="flex-grow-shrink"> <h2 class="h6 font-weight-normal"> Animal Ecology: <em>Competition, predation, and cooperation</em> </h2> </div> </article> </a> </li> <li> <a class="no-hover-focus height-100" href="/en/library/Biology/2/Biodiversity-I/276"> <article class="flex-row align-items-center flex-column--md align-items-start--md height-100 theme-light padding-2 gap-2"> <div class="width-30 width-auto--md"> <img class="border-radius box-shadow-1" src="/img/library/moduleImages/featured_image_276-23061209063836.jpg" alt="Biodiversity I"> </div> <div class="flex-grow-shrink"> <h2 class="h6 font-weight-normal"> Biodiversity I: <em>Definitions and patterns of diversity</em> </h2> </div> </article> </a> </li> <li> <a class="no-hover-focus height-100" href="/en/library/Biology/2/Biodiversity-II/281"> <article class="flex-row align-items-center flex-column--md align-items-start--md height-100 theme-light padding-2 gap-2"> <div class="width-30 width-auto--md"> <img class="border-radius box-shadow-1" src="/img/library/moduleImages/featured_image_281-23061209063903.jpg" alt="Biodiversity II"> </div> <div class="flex-grow-shrink"> <h2 class="h6 font-weight-normal"> Biodiversity II: <em>Changing habits and habitats</em> </h2> </div> </article> </a> </li> <li> <a class="no-hover-focus height-100" href="/en/library/Scientists-and-Research/58/Craig-Lee/256"> <article class="flex-row align-items-center flex-column--md align-items-start--md height-100 theme-light padding-2 gap-2"> <div class="width-30 width-auto--md"> <img class="border-radius box-shadow-1" src="/img/library/moduleImages/featured_image_256-23061210064616.jpeg" alt="Craig Lee"> </div> <div class="flex-grow-shrink"> <h2 class="h6 font-weight-normal"> Craig Lee: <em>Ice patch archaeologist</em> </h2> </div> </article> </a> </li> <li> <a class="no-hover-focus height-100" href="/en/library/Process-of-Science/49/Data-Analysis-and-Interpretation/154"> <article class="flex-row align-items-center flex-column--md align-items-start--md height-100 theme-light padding-2 gap-2"> <div class="width-30 width-auto--md"> <img class="border-radius box-shadow-1" src="/img/library/moduleImages/featured_image_154-23061210061547.jpeg" alt="Data Analysis and Interpretation"> </div> <div class="flex-grow-shrink"> <h2 class="h6 font-weight-normal"> Data Analysis and Interpretation: <em>Revealing and explaining trends</em> </h2> </div> </article> </a> </li> <li> <a class="no-hover-focus height-100" href="/en/library/Process-of-Science/49/Description-in-Scientific-Research/151"> <article class="flex-row align-items-center flex-column--md align-items-start--md height-100 theme-light padding-2 gap-2"> <div class="width-30 width-auto--md"> <img class="border-radius box-shadow-1" src="/img/library/moduleImages/featured_image_151-23061210061423.jpeg" alt="Description in Scientific Research"> </div> <div class="flex-grow-shrink"> <h2 class="h6 font-weight-normal"> Description in Scientific Research: <em>Observations and multiple working hypotheses</em> </h2> </div> </article> </a> </li> <li> <a class="no-hover-focus height-100" href="/en/library/Process-of-Science/49/The-Nature-of-Scientific-Knowledge/185"> <article class="flex-row align-items-center flex-column--md align-items-start--md height-100 theme-light padding-2 gap-2"> <div class="width-30 width-auto--md"> <img class="border-radius box-shadow-1" src="/img/library/moduleImages/featured_image_185-23061210061144.jpeg" alt="The Nature of Scientific Knowledge"> </div> <div class="flex-grow-shrink"> <h2 class="h6 font-weight-normal"> The Nature of Scientific Knowledge: <em>What is it and why should we trust it?</em> </h2> </div> </article> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </footer> </div>   </div>  <div class="order-1 order-2--lg module__tools"> <div class="narrow margin-x-auto position-sticky-top font-size-md"> <div class="padding-2 border-radius box-shadow-1--lg"> <div class="tabs" role="tablist"> <nav> <button class="button button--icon-label" id="tab-button-in-this-module" aria-label="Table of Contents" aria-controls="tab-panel-module__tools" aria-selected="true" role="tab"> <span class="icon icon-list" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="button__text">Contents</span> </button> <button class="button button--icon-label" id="tab-button-toggle-terms" aria-controls="tab-panel-toggle-terms" aria-selected="false" role="tab"> <span class="icon icon-glossary-highlight"></span> <span class="button__text">Glossary Terms</span> </button> </nav> <hr class="divider" /> <div class="tabs__panel shown" id="tab-panel-module__tools" aria-labelledby="tab-button-module__tools" role="tabpanel"> <p class="font-weight-bold margin-bottom-1"> Table of Contents </p> <div class="table-of-contents" id="module-toc"> <ul> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_1">Stewarship</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_2">The devastation of whale populations</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_3">Age-old cultural practice deemed illegal</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_4">Ramari’s life as a whale researcher</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_5">A foot in two worlds</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_6">Restoring tribal rights</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_7">Whale stranding capital</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_8">Ramari’s role in the whale place</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_9">Ramari's beaked whale</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_10">Keeping tradition alive</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292#toc_11">Bringing perspectives together</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div>   <div class="tabs__panel" id="tab-panel-toggle-terms" aria-labelledby="tab-button-toggle-terms" role="tabpanel"> <div class="reading-toggle"> <div class="reading-toggle__switch"> <div 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