Some of these had kaitiaki (guardians) and taniwha, often in the personification of natural forms like winds, waves, animals, or fish. Kaikaiawaro is our kaitiaki who comes in the personification of a dolphin, while Tutaeporoporo was a taniwha shark who lived at Waimea Inlet. Ngāti Kuia tipuna had considerable knowledge of places for gathering kai and other taonga, ways in which to use the resources of Hine-parawhenua and moana and tikanga for the proper and sustainable utilisation of resources. All these values incorporate our take kaitiaki and remain important to Ngāti Kuia toda y. Ngāti Kuia ’s Hine-parawhenua symbolises the intense nature of our relationship to their environment, and the mauri or life force that is contained in all parts of the natural environment and binds the spiritual and physical world. This Hine-parawhenua area incorporates the cultural values of Ngāti Kuia mauri. Ngāti Kuia has mana here, whakapapa associations and history here. We have tikanga and kawa which involve tapu and noa to this place. We have a responsibility and obligation to this place and its cultural, spiritual, historic and traditional values. Statement of Assocaition with Pakohe Ngāti Kuia have li ved on the argillite mineral belt for generations. It spans from Nga Paepae tangata (the Richmond Range), Motupiko and Motueka Rivers, Whakatu, Kokotoru, Whangamoa, Te Hoiere and onto Rangitoto. Our tupuna were the workers of pakohe and used pakohe for tools, weapons, pendants and for trade. Pakohe forms part of the Ngāti Kuia distinct tribal identity. Ngāti Kuia have karakia, waiata and creation stories about it. Ngāti Kui a have several names for the different types of pakohe. These include Marutea (a light gre y mud colored stone) and Popo (also called Uriuri, black colored stone). We used many other associates stones to make pakohe tools, such as hammer, flinting and smoothing stones. “He Waipounamu he maunga pako he” is a Ngāti Kuia whakatauki (proverb) about the importance of these taonga (treasures) which Ngāti Kuia worked. A renowned Ngāti Kuia pakohe hei tiki was named Hine -popo. The female form of the hei tiki is said by Ngāti Kuia to be a representation of Hine -popo (the argillite maiden), also known as Hinepoupou. She lived at Muhakenga on the western side of Rangitoto and a number of argillite quarries and sites are found here. Popo was a valuable type of pakohe. She was a puhi and had several husbands. Eruera Whirihana Kaipara was one of her descendents and he told her story about the swimming from Kapiti to Rangitoto. He pipi he popo A splitting adze of argillite Ka pa ki tu a It touches the back Ka pa ki waho It touches outside Ka pa ki a Tane It touches Tane. We were involved in a pakohe industry for generations before the arrival of new tools and technology. It is still considered a taonga by our people today. Pakohe products such as toki (adzes) were traded in Te Tau Ihu, from the Te Moana Raukawakawa region up to Horowhenua and Wairarapa. Ngāti Kuia had a strong whakapapa connection with these areas and traded with them. Communities and trails were developed for the industry such as at Rangitoto, Kaiaua, Whakapuaka, Whakatu, Waimea , Motueka, Te Hoiere and Tītīrangi. Totaranui and Arapaoa were important trading areas. This pakohe wāhi tapu incorporates our cultural values of take tupuna. They are places which our tupuna explored and used and incorporates our cultural values of take ahi ka. It is a core part to our cultural identity. We are identified as tangata whenua there. Historical pakohe quarries and flinting sites are found throughout the mineral belt area. Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 42 of 163