kaitiaki

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Maori.

Noun

kaitiaki (countable and uncountable, plural kaitiakis or kaitiaki)

1. (New Zealand, uncountable) The Māori concept of guardianship of the natural environment.
2. (New Zealand, countable) In Māori culture, a person serving as a guardian of the natural environment.
   • 2019, Jeannette Bastian, Andrew Flinn, Community Archives, Community Spaces: Heritage, Memory and Identity, page 72:

     Kaitiaki are rarely resourced to respond to the many requests for their time and expertise.

Maori

Etymology

kai- +‎ tiaki (“to guard”)

Noun

kaitiaki

1. guardian, trustee