Pūrākau as Philosophy

Interest in Indigenous philosophies within the academic discipline of philosophy has been on the rise. For quite some time longer, albeit outside of and largely without the support of the academic discipline of philosophy, Indigenous scholars, activists, and communities have been working to revitalize, reclaim, and regenerate their philosophies. This chapter explores the role of pūrākau (stories and storytelling) for Māori philosophy. The chapter contends that pūrākau are repositories of accumulated knowledge that not only contain Māori philosophy but also enable its critical engagement and cultivation. Practices of storytelling are, then, vital to the creation and transformation of Māori concepts and ideas, and vital to understanding Māori practices of philosophical inquiry. In laying this out, this chapter details some of the ways in which Māori and other Indigenous methods reimagine philosophy—not least in ways that include the needs and aspirations of the communities in which these philosophies are experienced and lived.