3. Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi Volume One their respective Deeds of Settlement and iwi management plans and through direct engagement with iwi. Ngā Wai (waters) “We are water and water is us.” Water is an essential element of life; it has the power to revive, cleanse, heal and neutralise. Consequently, it is a very significant taonga to Māori and plays a central role in both the spiritual and secular worlds. Water represents the life blood of Papatūānuku, the tears of Rangi, and is the domain of Tangaroa. The condition of water is a reflection of the state of the land and this in turn is a reflection of the health of the tangata whenua. Ki uta ki tai (from the mountains to the sea) describes the approach of Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi to natural resource management. This principle enables a holistic approach to resource management and recognises the relationships and connections between land uses, water quality and quantity, biodiversity and the sea. Water has been and remains an integral political, economic and spiritual resource for Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi; water provides the connection between the past, the present and the future. For these iwi, there are seven central categories of water: waiora, waitapu, waitaonga, waitai, waimāori, waikino and waimate. Waiora Purest form of water, not compromised either spiritually or physically. Waitapu Water that is tapu due to its relationship to other waters, places or objects. Waitaonga Water that has taonga status because of the particular uses the waterway supports. Waitai Tidal waters; distinguishes seawater from freshwater. Waimāori Water that has flowed over Papatūānuku ; it is profane and suitable for most uses. Waikino Water whose mauri has been compromised and can cause harm. Waimate The water is contaminated or polluted; its mauri has been exhausted. Ngā Awa (rivers) Awa have a mauri, mana and tapu of their own. They are entities, like maunga, with which iwi groups identify. Tangata whenua often refer to the river as a taonga and in doing so describe their relationship to the entire river system, not to any one part. The river mouth is particularly important during native fish spawning times. Rivers carry the life blood of the land; the wellbeing of a river is reflected in the wellbeing of the local people. Te Moana (sea) The domain of Tangaroa has great spiritual significance as well as practical value. The sea is a food basket for the iwi. As such, practices and elements that defile the mauri and mana of the coastal environment are seen as abhorrent. The discharge of contaminants, such as human sewage, into the sea is an obvious example. Te moana includes the shoreline, foreshore, estuaries and river mouths and all the species that live within these environments. River mouths and estuaries are particularly significant as these dynamic environments support important ecological processes and act as a cultural indicator of environmental health. Ngā Maunga (mountains) Maunga are a source of the mana of an iwi/ha pū and enhance that mana. The relationship of an iwi with its maunga can be affirmed and strengthened in a number of ways. Often a maunga is named directly after a tribal tipuna (ancestor), establishing a clear whakapapa line or commemorating a significant event. Other maunga are named to describe the natural environment or processes within it. Often such maunga are classified as tapu to an iwi or hapū. 3 – 6