3. Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi Volume One determines peoples' rights and responsibilities in relation to the use and management of the resources of the natural world. All natural and physical elements have the qualities of wairua (spiritual dimension) and mauri (life force) and have a genealogical relationship with each other. Mauri provides the common centre between the natural resources (taonga), the people or guardians who care for the taonga (the kaitiaki) and the management framework (tikanga) of how taonga are to be managed by the kaitiaki. It is through kawa (protocol) that the relationship between taonga, tikanga and kaitiakitanga is realised. Environmental management concepts Mauri Mauri is the life force that comes from wairua - the spirit, or source of existence and all life. Mauri is the life force in the physical world. The overall purpose of resource management for Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi is the maintenance of the mauri of natural and physical resources and to enhance mauri where it has been degraded by the actions of humans. As a life principle, mauri implies health and spirit. In the environment, mauri underlies all resources and the total ecosystem. In the community, mauri is of paramount importance to the wellbeing of the people. Mauri can be harmed by the actions of humans but is unaffected by natural processes, such as natural disasters. The preservation of the mauri of natural resources is paramount to Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi to ensure that resources may be used sustainably by present and future generations. Traditionally, rules were established to govern the use of natural and physical resources and ensure that mauri was protected from human actions. These rules form part of kawa and tikanga (Māori protocol) and have been passed on through the generations. For example, a rāhui may be used to safeguard the mauri of a particular resource, by enforcin g a temporary restriction on use of the resource to protect the overall health and availability of the resource for both present and future generations. The RMA seeks these same outc omes: to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources (Section 5( 1)). Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi use indicators within the environment to interpret the status of mauri. These include (but are not limited to) the presence of healthy kai and other indigenous flora and fauna, the presence of resources fit for cultural use and the aesthetic qualities of resources, such as the visibility of important landmarks. Other indicators can take many forms and are recalled in the kōrero pūrākau (stories) of whānau and hapū. Tikanga Cultural practices, or tikanga, were developed to maintain the mauri of the domains of Atua. They are based on the general understanding that people belong to the land and, as kaitiaki of that land, have a responsibility to care for it. Tikanga incorporates concepts such as tapu (sacredness) and rāhui (temporary restriction). These are forms of social control, which manage the interrelationship of people and the environment. Tikanga were developed to specifically recognise the four planes of reality: • te taha tinana (the physical plane); • te taha hinengaro (the intellectual plane); • te taha wairua (the spiritual plane); and • te taha whānau (the family plane). Tikanga seek to unify these four planes in a holistic way. Observing tikanga is part of the ethic and exercise of kaitiakitanga. 3 – 4