Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
SOBİTÜRK, İstanbul, Türkiye, 23 - 25 Ekim 2024, ss.24
This study examines the preservation of nature in Patricia Grace’s fiction, emphasizing the biocentric viewpoint of the Māori, New Zealand’s indigenous people, particularly in relation to natural disasters. As a renowned Māori writer, Patricia Grace offers a distinctive perspective on nature grounded in Māori traditions and beliefs that emphasize the interconnectedness of all things, both living and non-living. This study investigates how Grace’s works reflect the Māori understanding of the interconnection between humans and the natural world, emphasizing the respect and reverence for nature that is central to Māori culture. The analysis explores various novels and short stories by Grace, highlighting how her characters represent the Māori identity which is closely linked to their land and reinforces the need to conserve and maintain the environment. These principles are juxtaposed with the challenges posed by ecological crises, offering an insightful analysis on the resilience and adaptation of indigenous knowledge systems in responding to natural disasters. Through a detailed analysis of selected texts, the paper illustrates how the Māori biocentric worldview, which sees humans as part of the natural ecosystem rather than separate from it, might be presented as a vital perspective in contemporary environmental discourse, especially considering the ongoing global climate change and frequent natural disasters. By situating Grace’s fiction within broader environmental and cultural studies, this study emphasizes the significance of indigenous viewpoints in addressing modern ecological issues, asserting that the Māori approach to nature, as portrayed in Grace’s work, provides valuable insights into sustainability, resilience, and living in harmony with the Earth.