Masters Thesis Abstract: Sarah Hemmingsen
Maori traditional and contemporary values, uses and management of the coast.]
Ngai Tahu has always had close associations with the coastal environment. The ability for Ngai Tahu, and other iwi, to manage the coast through traditional management methods has changed since European colonisation. More recently, Ngai Tahu has gained greater acknowledgement from the Crown through the Ngai Tahu Claim Settlement Act (1998), which recognised the traditional uses and management of the coast by rahui (temporary closure) and have sought greater involvement of local Maori communities in the management of larger coastal areas through the establishment of Mataitai reserves (tangata whenua management of non-commercial fishing in identified traditional fishing ground) and Taiapure (recognition and effect to rangatiratanga over estuarine or coastal waters of significance to iwi or hapu, whilst providing for the involvement and input of other rights holders and local community). While these management tools realise the traditional values of the coast to Ngai Tahu, they still fail to recognise greater pressures on these coastal environments due to the increase of commercial interests often impacting upon the customary fishing rights of Maori.
This research focuses on the wide range of uses and management techniques for the coast that were used historically as well as those currently in use and the value of these coastal areas to Ngai Tahu and individual runanga within the Ngai Tahu rohe. This is achieved through selected case studies of the Ngai Tahu Canterbury coast. This research also focuses on the interaction between Ngai Tahu Runanga and government agencies and the impact of legislation on Ngai Tahu values and management.