An important aim of the Tuhia ki Te Ao--Write to the Natural World project is to investigate ways in which the cultural and ecological perspectives of Maori can be recognised and developed within literacy practices in secondary schools. In this article we propose four significant aspects to engaging with Maori literacies in classroom pedagogy and practice: place and environment; the relation of the tangible and intangible; "capturing the being"; and the concept and practice of tohu. Attention to, and awareness of, these areas may help mainstream educators to engage in conversations about how eco-critical literacy can be situated in Maori ways of knowing and operating.