weaving resource. There are wāhi tapu, wāhi taonga and mahinga kai within Waikawa Bay. The philosophy of the hapū and whānau was based on the importance of protecting the mahinga kai grounds and the whenua and its resources for all future generations. The Kawakawa tree is another important resource, which was prevalent throughout Queen Charlotte Sound and in particular at the head of Waikawa Bay. It was a resource customarily gathered for use at tangihanga and also for medicinal purposes. The name Whatamango refers to the stage of a storehouse on which dog fish or sharks were dried. The oil from the shark was used as a method for preserving the carvings and for remedial purposes. Ahuriri (Hauriri) Bay at the hea d of Whatamango Bay is where Te Ātiawa o Te Waka -a-Māui hapū used a weir dyke to capture fish and shark. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui has many wāhi tapu and wāhi taonga including urupā located in this Bay. Whatamango was a resource for all Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui in the area as it was rich in pipi beds along with mussels and various cultivations on adjacent lands. Apoka Bay is a small inlet on the north eastern side of Whatamango Bay named after Apoka who once lived there. In Whatamango, flounder were speared by Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui using flax torches in the l ate evening. The seashore, littoral zone and estuaries contained a wide range of culturally significant shellfish species, including pipi, cockles, scallops, pāua and mudwhelks. Tory Channel Kura te Au (Tory Channel) is highly valued by Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui for its spiritual and cultural associations and long time association with the area. As well as providing food, work and income, it is a source of trib al identity, mana and pride. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui unextinguished native customary rights over Kura te Au and the privileges bestowed upon the iwi since the raupatu of this particular significant waterway is still and always will remain in effect. Kura te Au is a highly prized kaimoana source and a nursery garden for shellfish, crustacean, fish species and various seaweed species. A rock formation in Tory Cha nnel, opposite Mōioio Island, is known as Te Kakau o te Toki o Kupe (The Handle of Kupe’s Axe), and an especially glittery rock within Kura te Au called Te Uira Karapa (The Lightning) is said to have frozen the flash of Kupe’s axe when it struck Te Wheke a Muturangi. Kura te Au is the kaitiaki of the pā called Mōioio, while on the adjacent mainland is another, Kaihinu. Ngāti Rahiri through their chief Huriwhenua were the kaitiaki of both Mōioio and Kaihinu, and these still remain today under the mantle of Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui nui tonu. Whaling was a large component of Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui history, and was the local economy with principal stations in Tory Channel at Te Awaiti and Jacksons Bay. Wh aling and the significance of the whale can be seen in the wharenui at Waikawa a nd the gateway to the Marae. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui witnessed the last harpooning of the great whale from a rowboat at Dieffenba ch in Kura te Au. There is some evidence to suggest the Treaty of Waitangi may have been signed at Merokihengahenga. According to Reverend Ironside, a pā that belonged to Te Tūpē was at Te Awaiti, and he was one o f the signatories to the Trea ty. Te Awaiti (the name means “a little river”) is a central iconic bay and Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui whānau have maintained ahi kā roa in its purest sense since our arrival to Te Tau Ihu. The sheltered waters of Te Awaiti have the ideal space to haul ashore a reasonable number of waka away from the pounding waters of Te Moana o te Raukawakawa. Te Awaiti was a large settlement for many Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui traveling across Te Tau Ihu and across Te Moana o te Raukawakawa. Te Awaiti was used for whaling Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 106 of 163