The wāhi tapu and mahinga kai associated with the Tākaka River links present day Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui physically and emotionally with our tūpuna. The maintenance of the customs an d traditions associated with these awa is therefore paramount to the wellbeing of Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui. 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. AORERE RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES Aorere te awa is sacred to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui. Traditionally, Aorere te awa provided a wealth of resources to sustain Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui tūpuna. Our tūpuna had considerable knowledge of whakap apa, tradi tional trails and tauranga waka, places for gathering kai and other taonga, an d developed tikanga for the proper and sustainable utilisation of resources that als o recognised the relationship of the people with the river and their dependence on it. All of these values remain important to Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui today. The Aorere is a large river, 43 kilometres in length, which drains the Wakamarama and Haupiri r anges, and once provided an important m ahinga kai resource for Te Ātiawa o Te Wa ka-a-Māui. Traditionally, the river was known for its tuna (eel), īnanga (whi tebait), and the giant and short-jawed kōkopu. Sadly, however, those resources are alm ost depleted. Aorere refers to the name of the place at the mouth of the Aorere Riv er and encompasses the hinterland areas a long the River. The name derives from (ao ), cloud or mist, and (rere), flying or swift m oving. The Aorere River Valley also provided a natural inland Ara (pathway) to Te Tai Poutini. This pathway was an im portant greenstone trail used by tūpuna in search of this valuable taonga and it em of trade. The route followed the Aorere River before meeting the head of the Hea phy River and emerging just north of Karamea on the West Coast. There are several wāhi tapu on the Aorere River. These sacred wāhi tapu sites are places holding the memories, traditions and victories for Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui tūpuna, and are often protected by keeping their location secret. The wide estuary at the Aorere River mouth provide d Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui with a wide range of culturally significant shellfish species, including pipi, cockles, scallops and mudwhelks. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka- a-Māui would dig trenches at the side of river and lay flax net s at the bottom of ea ch trench to catch īnanga. To catch tuna, weirs and eel traps (hīnaki) and nets (kupenga) were placed strategically in or at the sides of streams and rivers. Other freshwater treasures included kōkopu and bulley. Aorere was an important kāinga for Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a- Māui tūpuna beginning at the mouth of the river and stretching up the valley for at least five kilometres. Bird life was plentiful and birds were often stored in fat for later periods of need. Aorere Pā was situated at the mouth of the Aorere River, on the tip of the promontory now called Collingwood. Marino, a Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui tupuna, exercised manaakitanga during the gold rushes, providing all who ca me to the digg ings with food and entertainm ent, although he eventually h ad to limit h is hospitality to Māori miners. As well as providing a base for surveyors and other travellers, Aorere Pā supplied river transport. The Aorere goldfields were extensive. Auriferous gravels were found in many tributary rivers, streams, valleys and gullies, from the Aorere river mouth at Collingwood to the headwaters and ranges more than sixty kilometres inland. Māori miners were dominant in number, especially at sites where access was difficult. Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui tūpuna used river waka to reach inland sites. Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 128 of 163