Te Hoiere / Pelorus River and its tributaries The Pelorus or Te Hoiere River is a site of cultural, historical, spiritual, and traditional significance to Ngati Toa Rangatira. It was a very important waterway because it linked two areas of Ngati Toa Rangatira settlement: the Te Hoiere Sound and Tasman Bay. The access route of the valley, and particularly the river, allowed for frequent travel between the two areas, for the transportation of resources, and for communication between the people of Ngati Toa Rangatira. This gave Ngati Toa Rangatira a broader spatial relationship with the region which was vital to the maintenance of the maritime trading domain established by Te Rauparaha. The Pelorus River gave Ngati Toa Rangatira direct access to the inland of Te Tau Ihu from their coastal settlements, increasing the pool of resources from which the iwi drew sustenance. Originally the Te Hoiere River Valley was rich in native forest and birdlife; both of which were a valuable resource to Ngati Toa Rangatira. The river was an abundant source of tuna (eels), smelt, freshwater crayfish (koura) and whitebait (inanga), gathered extensively by Ngati Toa Rangatira. Tuamarina River and its tributaries The Tuamarina Stream is a site of cultural, historical, spiritual and traditional significance to Ngati Toa Rangatira. The River was located within the core rohe of Ngati Toa Rangatira in Te Tau Ihu, the centre of which was in the Wairau and Port Underwood. The Tuamarina served as a valuable resource, supplying the nearby Ngati Toa Rangatira settlements with plentiful resources such as flax, swamp maire, kahikatea and species of eel, koura, cockles, kahawai and the giant kokopu. The Tuamarina Stream linked the Marlborough Sounds with the Wairau, two areas of Ngati Toa Rangatira settlement. The access route of the valley, and particularly the river, allowed for frequent travel between the two areas, for the transportation of resources and trade goods, and for communication between the people of Ngati Toa Rangatira. The Tuamarina Stream is culturally significant for other reasons however: it is the site of Te Rangihaeata’s wife, Te Rongo’s grave and the site of the infamous ‘Wairau incident'. Tension over the ownership of the Wairau between New Zealand Company surveyors and Ngati Toa Rangatira reached a head in June of 1843. Ngati Toa Rangatira objected to surveyors entering their land in the Wairau and, by various methods, forced the surveyors to retreat to Nelson. As a result, a party of special constables were sent to Tuamarina to arrest Te Rauparaha. The party of special constables reached the Ngati Toa Rangatira party at the Tuamarina River on Saturday 17 June. The leaders of the party and a number of others crossed the creek and entered into a discussion with Ngati Toa Rangatira. Both Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata were adamant that they would not be arrested. The Police Magistrate then called on his party to cross the creek and arrest the chiefs. Some of the armed party moved down the bank, while the remainder stayed in position on the bank above the Tuamarina. As the men were crossing the creek a shot was fired, possibly accidentally, by one of the Europeans. The evidence of Ngati Toa Rangatira at the time, however, was that there was an order to fire, that the first shots were fired in response to this, and Maori were the first to die. At this point, both Te Rauparaha and Rawiri Puaha called on Ngati Toa Rangatira to fire. During the exchange of fire Te Rongo, the wife of Te Rangihaeata, was killed. The party of special constables now broke and fled up the hill with Ngati Toa Rangatira chasing them. After an exchange of gunfire lasting for some minutes the decision was made to surrender and Wakefield and the others laid down their arms. By this time many of the party of special constables had escaped. Those who remained behind were killed. Tamihana Te Rauparaha wrote that his father was willing to spare the prisoners, Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 151 of 163