Oral Presentation Freshwater Sciences 2023

The Murihiku Cultural Water Classification System: An Indigenous framework to bring different knowledges together to inform the protection and enhancement of cultural uses (#53)

Jane Kitson 1 , Erica Williams 2 , Ailsa Cain 3 , Roger Young 4 , Stevie Blair 5 , Muriel Johnstone 6 , Riki Parata 7 , Mollie Lyders 7 , Dean Whaanga 5
  1. Kitson Consulting Limited, Invercargill, SOUTHLAND, New Zealand
  2. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington
  3. Kauati, Queenstown
  4. Cawthron Institute, Nelson
  5. Te Ao Marama Incorporated , Invercargill
  6. Ngāi Tahu kaumatua and historian, Riverton/Aparima
  7. Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao, Gore

For Ngāi Tahu, the continuation of cultural use and practice of the freshwaters in their takiwā/ tribal area is crucially important for the sustenance of cultural identity, social cohesion, health and wellbeing. The concept of mahinga kai, often translated as customary harvest, encompasses many entities and relations, including the resources harvested (such as fish, plants and stone), connections to place, intergenerational knowledge transmission, cultural tradition, and access.

Although mahinga kai is a central element in the Ngāi Tahu Treaty Settlement legislation, the protection and enhancement of mahinga kai is impeded by the numerous pieces of legislation and government agencies involved, that are not unified in this purpose, and in some cases acting against this purpose. This situation creates a challenging, time-consuming, and at times, an overwhelming process for Māori.

Ngāi Tahu in Murihiku (New Zealand’s most southern Māori) wanted mechanisms to empower decision-making and outcomes for Māori and protection of cultural use. To aid this, the Murihiku Cultural Water Classification System (MCWCS) was developed to strengthen cross-cultural understandings about Murihiku cultural values, and their water-related dependencies – in a robust, respectful, and meaningful way. In this framework, knowledge comes together from various disciplines (including mātauranga Māori, social science, science and cultural heritage) around different cultural value/use themes that are of importance to Murihiku Māori, starting with Wai Nohoanga (seasonal camping areas across the landscape), Wai Pounamu (Greenstone) and Wai Tuna (Eels).

Here, we illustrate how knowledge was woven to describe the state of Wai Tuna (waters that sustain the intergenerational harvest of tuna/eels). We describe the mixed methods approach used to identify the water-related dependencies, attributes and indicators (including water quality) needed to sustain this mahinga kai, and we reflect on how the MCWCS has been implemented to empower Māori in the protection of mahinga kai/cultural use.