Chapter 6 - Tangata Whenua and Heritage 6.0 Tangata Whenua and Heritage 6.1 Tangata Whenua The Act requires that the Council recognises and provides for the relationship of Maori with their ancestral lands, water, sites, waahi tapu and other taonga [section6(c)]. It further requires the Council to have particular regard to kaitiakitanga [section 7(a)], and to take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi (section 8). Further, the Marlborough Regional Policy Statement includes principle 3.2.1(b) to “Incorporate, where appropriate, the aspirations, heritage and values of the iwi of Marlborough into resource management decision making”. Kaitiakitanga is the traditional practice of managing resources so as to conserve and protect them. As a concept, it is based on spiritual, social and economic associations with these resources, and includes tribal rights to the use of an area. The management practices embodied in the application of Kaitiakitanga are very much in keeping with the philosophy driving the Act. In particular, Kaitiakitanga provides for the restoration of ecological harmony, the efficient use of resources and provision for the needs of both present and future generations. Tangata whenua are kaitiaki (or guardians) of their coastal resources. As such they have assumed the responsibility to ensure that the mauri (or life essence) of these resources is protected. The mauri of a resource embodies a spiritual as well as a physical essence. From the Maori perspective damage to resources also carries spiritual damage. It is possible to damage resources (eg; through pollution or despoliation) to the extent that they can lose their mauri entirely. Protecting the mauri ensures the maintenance of its integrity and protection of supply for future generations. The concept of mauri therefore imposes a discipline on tangata whenua as kaitiaki, and because of their spiritual, social and economic connection to the resource, it is kaitiaki who have the responsibility for ensuring that the mauri of the resource is protected. In this sense, the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan must recognise the role of tangata whenua as kaitiaki for the coastal environment. To this end the Plan endeavours to facilitate that role through a process of consultation. This chapter is designed therefore to provide some key overall objectives and some ‘management’ type policies, perhaps not adequately covered by other objectives, policies or methods. 6.1.1 Issue Potential omission of Maori values and exclusion of Iwi in the use, development and protection of all resources, including traditional resources. The dominant issues raised by iwi are: • Exclusion from the decision making process; • Proliferation, abuse and over use of resources; and 6 - 1