Indigitization: Technology as a mode for conservation sustainability and knowledge transfer in indigenous New Zealand communities

Many youths today are disconnected from nature. Although technology cannot substitute for real-life connection of youth to the environment, it can enable nature connectedness, a key factor in reclaiming cultural identity which is intrinsically embedded in nature for Indigenous Māori people. We explore Indigitization as a mechanism for transferring Indigenous ecological knowledge (mātauranga) through digital platforms: virtual reality (VR), and graphic novel (GN) in Māori and English.