The Motueka River and the swamps and wooded areas associated with the river support a huge food basket. When the river floods it replenishes and fertilises the catchment. Traditionally, the Motueka River and its tributaries were full of tuna, kōkopu and īnanga. Tuna formed an important part of the customary diet. Pokororo was an important tribal area where tūpuna harvested eels, and was also a significant birding site. The gathering and processing of tuna was a customary practice that strengthened the kinship of iwi and whānau. Cu stomary m anagement practices followed the lifecycle of the tuna, and harvesting was regulated according to the seasons. The Motueka headwaters are linked to the legend of Ngahue and Poutini. This pūrākau is significant as it illustrates that from the very earliest times, tribes from all over the country knew of the precious resources to be found in Te Tau Ihu. Ngahue and his taniwha Poutini were the guardians of pounamu (greenstone). A dispute between Ngahue and his adversary Hine-tu-ahoanga entangled their taniwha; Poutini was driven out of Hawaiki by Whatipu (Hine-tu-ahoanga’s taniwha) and pursued to different places around Aotearoa. One place Poutini found temporary refuge was at the eastern headwaters of the Motueka River. Grey/black argillite, known to Māori as pakohe, is unique to Te Tau Ihu and was found in the Motueka River valley. 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. Argillite was also a valued item for trade. In the upper Motueka River valley, clusters of argillite working areas and source sites in dicate the importance of th is stone to tūpuna. Buried boulders, hammer stones and adzes found in the river valley illustrate the traditional stone working techniques. The Motueka River discharges into Tasman Bay, a productive and shallow coastal body of high cultural, economic and ecological significance. The important west flank tributaries include the Riuwaka, L. Sydney, Brooklyn, Shaggery, Rocky, Pokororo, Graham and Pearse, and the important east flank tributaries are the Waiwhero, Orinoco and Dove. The major headwater tributaries are the Baton, Wangapeka, including the Dart and Sherry, the Tadmor, the Motupiko, the Upper Motueka and the Stanley Brook. All these tributaries have major significance to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui as we have tikanga and kawa which involve tapu and noa within these tributa ries. These tributaries also have cultural values for Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui. Mātauranga Māori is intertwined with the Motueka River and the many resources associated with its waters. Mātauranga associated with the collection of resources from the Motueka River is central to the cultural identity of Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui and is essential for maintaining the unbroken customary practices, including the tikanga and kawa associated with gathering and utilising the resources of the awa. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka -a-Māui has a relationship with the Motueka River as kaitiaki. This is a continuous responsibility passed down from Te Ātiawa o Te Waka -a-Māui tūpuna to take particular care of this awa, the natural resources found there and its tangible and intangible taonga. It is a traditional obligati on of the hapū and whānau associated with this area to look after and protect the physical and spiritual wellbeing of all treasured resources, places and sites of significance upon, inside, under and above Motueka. Central to the spiritual values of the Motueka River is the maintenance of customary practices and the sustainable use of the natural resources. This kaitiaki role is an all- encompassing one, providing for the protection of biodiversity, the utilisation of resources, the maintenance of resources for present and future generations, and the restoration and enhancement of damaged ecosystems. The Motueka River is pivotal to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka -a-Māui rohe. This awa is central to our identity. As kaitiaki, Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māu i monitor all aspects of the river, Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 126 of 163