The Mahitahi and Waimeha Rivers are immersed in Māori history. There are numerous wāhi tapu associated with these abundant food basket, linking present day Ngāti Rārua physically and emotionally with their tūpuna. The cultural identity and iwi wellbeing of Ngāti Rārua are intertwined with these aw a. MAITAI RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES The ‘Maitai’ River was originally known as ‘Mahitahi ’, which is thought to relate to tūpuna working as ‘one’ with the pakohe (argillite) to produce tools. Mahitahi means ‘hard ’, or ‘ excellent ’ in Māori. The hi gh-grade pakohe found in the valley became known as Mahitahi. The stone was hard and excellent for working into weapons and fine tools. Traditionally, mahinga kai, rongoā, weaving and building materials were plentiful in the Mahitahi River. The natural resources gathered in the catchment, attracted tūpu na from as far as Motu eka. Whānau would camp, an d harvest the plentiful supply of re sources found in the estuary, the channels and wetlands at the mouth of the Mahitahi and the adjacent lowland valley forests. A favourite site was Mātangi Āwhio. Ngāti Rārua used this flat north-facing kāinga for generations. Pikimai and Koputirana are othe r sites in the lower Mahitahi, where kāinga were occupied on a se mi-permanent basis. Ng āti Rārua from Motueka had a fishing camp on Mānuka Is land. Cultivation sites to supp ort tūpuna fishing operations were located along the ba nks of the Mahitahi Rive r. In pre -European times, extensive tracts of harakeke were present along the flats and hills of the Mahitahi. The wetter areas were also associated with kahikatea and raupō. These rich ecosystems provided habitats for many different bird, plant and fish species. Podocarp forest stands extended from near the river mouth upstream to Branford and Hanby Parks. This forested area provided iwi with tall trees for building and carving purposes. Tūpu na gathered berries and other materials and hunted the manu associated with the forests. The Mahitahi River and its tributaries provided tūpuna with a natural pathway or Ara through the rohe. The main route to Whakapuaka and to Marlborough was via the Mahitahi Valley. The Whakapuaka 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, found along the Nelson Mineral Belt including the Mahitahi Valley, formed an important resource for Ng āti Rārua of Whakatū. The tools fashioned from this taonga were used to collect and pre pare kai, and other natural resources gathered from the land and sea. Archaeological finds, in the vicinity of the Mahitahi Valley, contain a range of stone tools and evidence of their manufacture. These taonga include fishing gear, drill points, adzes, chisels, hammer stones and ornaments. Of great significance is the mātauranga used to create the array of tools and the patterns and styles developed by iwi. WAIMEA RIVER, WAIROA RIVER, AND WAI-ITI RIVER AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES The fertile plains of the Waimeha have a long and rich Māori history, reaching back to the earliest tribes known to have lived in the South Island. The name “Waimeha” means “brackish” or “insi pid water”. This name relates to the nature of the river as it passes swamp and mudflats on its way to sea. The significance of the Waimeha River relates to the awa itself, but also to the entire catchment, from the waters flowing from the mountains, (Gordon Range, Eastern slopes of the Kahukura (Richmond Ranges) and Bryant Ranges and the Dun mountain) through the flood plains to coastal waters and out to sea. Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 75 of 163