Indigenous Women’s Sovereignty, Climate Resilience, and Sacred Ecology in Oceania

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, September 2026 | pp. 70–83

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001300

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Indigenous Women’s Sovereignty, Climate Resilience, and Sacred Ecology in Oceania

Names of Author: Dr. Aroha Te Whare¹

Author's Affiliation: ¹School of Māori and Pacific Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Abstract:
Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events pose existential threats to island nations across the Pacific, disproportionately impacting Indigenous women whose livelihoods and cultural identities are intimately tied to marine and coastal ecosystems. Yet international climate governance frameworks frequently treat Pacific peoples as passive victims of inevitable displacement rather than sovereign knowledge-holders. Within Indigenous Pacific worldviews, genealogical kinship connects women directly to land and ocean, positioning female elders as vital guardians of biodiversity and customary resource management. This paper examines how Māori and Fijian women mobilize indigenous ecological knowledge to lead community-based climate adaptation initiatives. Grounded in Indigenous feminist theory and Pacific relational ontologies, the study synthesizes talanoa dialogue sessions with 35 female community leaders and elders. The findings underscore that genuine climate justice requires centering Indigenous women’s governance authority and protecting customary marine tenure systems.

Keywords: Indigenous feminism, climate resilience, Pacific studies, sacred ecology, women’s sovereignty, Oceania, traditional knowledge, environmental governance

Manuscript Timeline: Received: June 26, 2026; Revised: August 02, 2026; Accepted: August 06, 2026; Published: September 15, 2026.

Citation: Te Whare, A. (2026). Indigenous Women’s Sovereignty, Climate Resilience, and Sacred Ecology in Oceania. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 70–83. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001300

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