kāinga were occupied on a sem i-permanent basis. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui maintained kāinga on higher ground adjacent to the mouth of the Mahitahi. Extensive tracts of harakeke were present along the flats and hills of the Mahitahi. The wetter areas were also associated wit h kahikatea and raupō. These rich ecosystems provided habitats for many differen t bird, plant and fish species. Podocarp forest stands extended from near the river mo uth upstream to Branford an d Hanby Parks. This forested area provided ngā iwi with tall tree carving purposes. Te s for building and Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui tūpuna gathered berries and other materials and hunted the manu associated with the forests. The Mahitahi River and its tributaries provided Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui tūpuna with a natural pathway or Ara through the rohe. The main route to Wakapuaka and to Marlborough was via the Mahitahi Valley. The Wakapuaka Ara followed the Mahitahi upstream as far as the Waitarake (Sharlands and Packers Creeks) before joining the route over to the Lud and Teal Valleys. The Marlborough Ara followed the Waitarake before dropping over a small hill to rejoin the Mahitahi. After passing a camping area at Mill Creek the Ara ascended Maungatapu on the Dun Mountain side. Argillite, known to Māori as pakohe, is found along the Nelson Mineral Belt, includi ng the Mahitahi Valley, and formed an important resource for Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui. Traditionally, it was a highly valued taonga - a mineral of great hardness and strength which could be manufactured into all manner of tools and weapons, such as adzes. The tools fashioned from this taonga were used to collect and prepare kai and other natural materials gathered from the land and sea. The Mahitahi River is immersed in Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui history. There are numerous wāhi tapu associated with this abundant food basket linking present day Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui iwi physically and emotionally with their tūpuna. The cultural identity of Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui is intertwined with this awa and with the maintenance of associated customs and traditions paramount to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui wellbeing. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui has mana, whakapapa and history here. We have tikanga and kawa which involve tapu and noa in this catchment. We have responsibilities and obligations to this place and its cultural, spiritual, historical and traditional values as tangata whenua of the area. WAIMEA, WAIROA AND WAI-ITI RIVERS AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES The Waimeha River is sacred to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui. Traditionally, the Waimeha River provided a wealth of resources to sustain Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a- Māui tūpuna. The name Waimeaha was originally “Waimeha”, which means brackish or insipid water. This name relates to the nature of the river as it passes swamp and mudflats on its way to sea. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui association with the Waimeha River includes the entire catchment, from the waters flowing from the mountains, Kahukura (Gordon Range, Eastern slopes of the Kahukura (Richmond) and Bryant Ranges and the Dun mountain) through the flood plains to coastal waters and out to sea. The Waimeha provided Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui with kumara, dried snapper and argillite tools, as well as other valuable taonga for trading for pounamu. The harakeke (flax) wetlands on the fringe of the Waimeha estuary extended up the Valley towards Brightwater. This extensive area contained pockets of wooded areas, with kahikatea and pukatea in the wetter sites and totara, matai and rimu on drier sites. The Waimeha River mouth provided Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui with a plentiful supply of harakeke, of which there were four varieties. The fin e long-fibre d variety was suitable for net making. A coarser long-fibred type was suit able for ropes and cords; an intermediate type for kete; and a finer short-fibre variety for more delicate work, such Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 123 of 163