3.7 TE ĀTIAWA O TE WAKA -A-MĀUI QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND KAITIAKI Te toto o te tangata, he kai; te oranga o te tangata, he whenua A person’s blood is obtained from the food eaten, and it is from the land that sustenance is derived Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui has exercised kaitiakitanga with the strongest customary authority over the Queen Charlotte Sound and Islands, including the inherent responsibilities associated with the sustainable management of the environmental resources and taonga. The Queen Charlotte natural environment is of the utmost importance to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui. O relationship with the land, the environment ur iwi maintain a continuing and the moana, as well as between the people and the spiritual and cosmological bodies. The land, valleys, hills, bays, rocks, water and seaways are viewed as not only resources, but more importantly as a collective identity. They are essential roots that entwine the components of what it means to be Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui. Queen Charlotte Sound and Islands are taonga which must be protected. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-M āui has a role as kaitiaki to safeguard ngā taonga tuku iho (the treasures passed down from our ancestors) for present and future generations, and we are aware of the significant efforts that are required to protect and nurture native species of flora and fauna for future generations. The Powelliphanta is found in the Queen Charlotte Sound and the Kahurangi National Park, and is a taonga of great importance to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui. They are carnivorous land snails that feed on native worms, and their oversize shells come in an array of colours and patterns ranging from hues of red and brown to yellow and black. Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui have kaitiaki re sponsibilities for every bay, point, island and waterway within Queen Charlotte Sound and the Islands. This is about our obligation to care for these resources, as well as our relationship with land and the natural world that is widely articulated by tangata whenua with regard to environmental responsibilities. These responsibilities are often explained as emanating from the spiritual realm, with obligations to care for the land, which in turn ensures the wellbeing of the people. Hapū and whānau traditions of knowledge of land and waters, and mātauranga Māori, are integral to Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui. The coastal marine area in Queen Charlotte Sound is approximately forty-nine kilometres in length from its head at the Grove to the entrance at Cape Jackson. Kura te Au (the Tory Channel) is twenty kilometres long and is known as a food basket for Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui. Kura te Au and Arapaoa Island are named after the great Māori ancestors Kupe and Te Wheke. Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui have several pā sites, papakāinga and burial sites within the Channel. Tidal streams can be very strong through the east entrance to Tory and great care must be taken. At its western end it joins the larger Queen Charlotte Sound, which it meets halfway along the latter's length. Its eastern end meets Cook Strait close to the latter's narrowest point. The many bays within Queen Charlotte Sound vary in depth with headland reefs, cobble fringes, sub-tidal slops and deep mud flats. The many sheltered bays in Queen Charlotte Sound are valued for scallops, crayfish and green shell mussels, mainly on the northern side. The kaimoana found within Queen Charlotte Sound is of immense significance to Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui, and Te Ātiawa o Te Waka -a-Māui have an obligation as kaitiaki to ensure the kaimoana resources are passed on in a better condition for the next generation. Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 101 of 163