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Eco-cultural restoration across multiple spatial scales: a New Zealand case study

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Abstract

The Waitaki River remains of paramount importance to Ngai Tahu (a tribe with lands in the South Island of New Zealand). Parts of the Waitaki catchment are without sufficient rainfall to meet the needs of those living within these regions and sustain contemporary landuses and livelihoods. Communities are dependent upon streams, rivers, and groundwater for life giving moisture. Over the last hundred years the waters of the Waitaki Catchment are a resource that can be dammed, stored, diverted, directed and divided by physical structures. Ngai Tahu have, for generations, voiced their concerns at the continual development and degradation of the waterways within their tribal territory. However Ngai Tahu, as kaitiaki (guardians), are obligated to identify the effects of resource use and development on their cultural, beliefs, values and practices. Today Ngai Tahu engage in multiple forums to ensure that their presence across the landscape is restored and positive outcomes consistent with their aspirations are realised. This paper provides insights to the nature and extent of cultural connections with the Waitaki River, in particular their mahinga kai (utilisation of foods and materials) from the lands and waters of the Waitaki. We describe historic patterns of gathering activity before summarising the impact of European settlement in the mid nineteenth century. We conclude the paper by describing how eco-cultural revitalisation philosophies are helping shape Ngai Tahu endeavours to restore valued lands, waters and resources to a point where they once again sustain a range of cultural uses.

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Fig. 1

Photo is from David Wall Photography

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Figs 4 and 5

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Notes

  1. Within a decade of completing agreements to sell large blocks of land to the government to enable settlement by Europeans, Ngai Tahu started to record breaches to the Treaty of Waitangi and began pursuing a claim arising from the government’s broken promises. Partial redress was made in the first half of the 20th century, but it was not until the Waitangi Tribunal upheld most of Ngai Tahu separate claims in the 1990 s that the overall claim was finally settled with the 1997 Deed of Settlement and the 1998 Ngai Tahu Settlement Claims Act.

  2. See www.meridianenergy.co.nz.

  3. This was supplied by Kelly Davis (a Ngai Tahu Kaumatua).

  4. This was introduced by the Fisheries Amendment Act 1986.

  5. See www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz.

  6. Some referred to it as “kai gathering”, others said “eeling”, some simply stated “kai”. “Fishing” was a term that was used as well.

  7. See for example http://www.sagchip.org/planning/nrdr/pdf/tribalecosysservices.pdf.

  8. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/takiroa-rock-art-shelter. A restoration plan for the wetlands has been prepared and is being implemented.

  9. The National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research is a Crown Research Institute within New Zealand.

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Legislation

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  • Resource Management Act 1991

  • Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992

Appendices of the Journal of the House of Representatives

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Acknowledgments

This research is funded by National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) FRST research programme “Aquatic Rehabilitation”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tipa and Associates Ltd, PO Box 23, Outram, Otago, 9019, New Zealand

    Gail Tipa & Kyle Nelson

Authors
  1. Gail Tipa
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  2. Kyle Nelson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gail Tipa.

Glossary

Atua

Deities

Hapū

Sub-tribe, extended whanau

Hikoi

Journey

Hui

Meeting, assembly

Iwi

Tribe

Ngai Tahu

Descendants of Tahu, the tribe

Kawa

Guardian

Kaitiaki

Guardian

Kaitiakitanga

The exercise of customary custodianship, in a manner that incorporates spiritual matters, by tangata whenua who hold Manawhenua status for particular area or resource

Ki Uta Ki Tai

Mountains to the Sea

Mahinga Kai

Places where food is produced or procured

Manaakitanga

Show kindness to, look after, entertain

Matauranga Maori

Maori knowledge

Mauri

Essential life force or principle; a metaphysical quality inherent in all things both animate and inanimate. (Ngai Tahu Fresh Water Policy)

Rauriri

Preserve—traditional gathering area

Raupo

Bullrush

Rūnanga

Local representative group or community system of representation

Taonga

Treasures

Tikanga

Lore and custom

Tino Rangatiratanga

Full chiefly authority

Tuna

Eel

Turangawaewae

Place of belonging through ancestral rights linked to land, place to stand

Wāhi Taonga

Sites treasured by Manawhenua

Wakawaka

Boundaries around a preserve of traditional gathering area

Wananga

Customary learning method

Weka

Woodhen

Whakapapa

Genealogy

Whanau

Family

Whanaungatanga

Kinship, connectedness, and inter-dependence between all things within the natural world including people

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Tipa, G., Nelson, K. Eco-cultural restoration across multiple spatial scales: a New Zealand case study. Water Hist 9, 87–106 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12685-016-0175-9

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