The fragility of human life has been tragically demonstrated through history by numerous natural hazards (e.g. earthquakes, tsunami, drought, floods, volcanic eruptions and landslides) leading in some cases to large-scale disasters. Given that the natural processes that underpin such hazards will continue into the foreseeable future, there is widespread international agreement about the need to focus on reducing risk and increasing resilience. In line with such objectives, Indigenous knowledge (IK) in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is increasingly being recognised as an alternative domain of understanding and knowing, that is highly relevant to present-day societal challenges such as natural hazards and disasters. In Aotearoa-New Zealand, rapid social, political and environmental changes have led a growing chorus of Māori leaders expressing the need to have their perspectives and histories surrounding diverse natural hazards and risk heard. Some of the contributions that Māori knowledge can make to the management and mitigation of natural hazards in Aotearoa-New Zealand have already been identified, but much remains to be done before plural knowledge learning and development can take place. In this presentation we will explore some of the benefits of epistemological and empirical differences in knowledge about natural hazards, and consider how scientific and Māori complexes of knowing and being can inform one another to contribute to effective DRR and Recovery.