Kaitiakitanga

2024-03-12T02:11:54Z

101.100.11.157: /* Kaitiakitanga */

{{Short description|Māori language concept of guardianship}}
{{for|the [[Fred Graham (sculptor)|Fred Graham]] sculpture in the [[Auckland Domain]]|Kaitiaki (sculpture)}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}

'''Kaitiakitanga''' is a [[New Zealand]] [[Māori people|Māori]] term used for the concept of [[guardianship]], for the [[sky]], the [[sea]], and the land. A kaitiaki is a [[Tutelary deity|guardian]], and the process and practices of protecting and looking after the [[Natural environment|environment]] are referred to as [[#Kaitiakitanga|kaitiakitanga]].<ref>[http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/nqfdocs/units/pdf/17791.pdf ''"Environmental Tourism Māori"'', NZQA unit standard]</ref>

The concept and terminology have been increasingly brought into public policy on trusteeship or guardianship—in particular with the environmental and resource controls under the [[Resource Management Act 1991|Resource Management Act]].

{{TOC limit|limit=3}}

==Coastal resource management==

Under the RMA all those exercising power have a mandatory obligation to recognise and make provision for Māori cultural values in all aspects of resource management when preparing and administering regional and district plans,<ref name=hem2004>Hemmingsen, S. A. (2004). Kaitiakitanga: Maori values, uses and Management of the Coast. University of Canterbury, Christchurch.</ref> this includes the mandated Coastal Policy Statement. There is a requirement within the RMA for at least one New Zealand coastal policy statement to be in effect at all times.<ref name=RMA /> Thus, with consideration of kaitiakitanga in New Zealand legislation, the practical significance of kaitiakitanga in coastal resource management can be explored. In particular, Policy 2 of the 2010 New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement
<ref name=nzcps>[http://www.doc.govt.nz/publications/conservation/marine-and-coastal/new-zealand-coastal-policy-statement/new-zealand-coastal-policy-statement-2010/ New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010]</ref>
This calls for coastal managers to take into account a number of aspects regarding tāngata whenua concerns regarding the coastal environment. This includes providing tāngata whenua opportunities to exercise kaitiakitanga “over waters, forests, lands, and fisheries in the coastal environment”.<ref name=nzcps /> This includes among others to provide opportunities for Māori involvement in decision making, such as to “take into account any relevant iwi resource management plan and any other relevant planning document recognised by the appropriate iwi authority or hapū”.<ref name=nzcps /> Any iwi resource management plan needs to be lodged with a relevant regional or district council. Further, councils are also required to consider practical assistance to those iwi or hapū who have indicated a wish to develop iwi resource management plans.<ref name=nzcps />

===Tools===
The Fisheries Act 1996, under Part 9 and in particular Section 186, and [http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Maori/SouthIsland/default.htm South Island Customary Fisheries Regulations 1999] provides for a number of legal tools derived from traditional kaitiakitanga methods for sustainability that may be applied by local [[iwi]] in relation to customary fishing rights and assist local iwi in the sustainable management and protection of their traditional mahinga kai gathering sites.

====Taiāpure-local fisheries====
A taiāpure identifies an area that, as a source of food or for spiritual or cultural reasons, has customarily been of special significance to an iwi or hapū.<ref name=fa /> The purpose of acknowledging a taiāpure is to provide improved provision for recognising rangatiratanga and the fisheries rights secured under the Article 2 of the [[Treaty of Waitangi]]. A management committee for a taiāpure is appointed by the Minister of Fisheries with the members of the committee being nominated by the tāngata whenua. The taiāpure management committee has the role of recommending regulations that allow a taiāpure to be managed for the conservation and management of the fish, aquatic life, or seaweed in the taiāpure-local fishery and to allow the taiāpure function according to custom.<ref name=fa /><ref name=Korowai>Te Korowai o te Tai ō Marokura (2011). Kaikōura Marine Strategy: Sustaining Our Sea.</ref>

Regulations may be related to the following: a. the species of fish, aquatic life or seaweed that may be taken, b. the quantity of each species that may be taken, c. the dates or seasons that each species may be taken, the size limits relating to each species that may be taken, d. the method by which each species may be taken and e. the area or areas in which each species may be taken.<ref name=fa /><ref name=Korowai />

====Mātaitai====
Mātaitai are reserves where the tāngata whenua manage all non-commercial fishing by making bylaws, which apply equally to all individuals having been approved by the Minister of Fisheries.<ref name=fm>Ministry of Fisheries (2011). South Island Customary Fishing Regulations 1999. Retrieved 27, April, 2012, from http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Maori/SouthIsland/default.htm</ref> Such reserves identify places of importance for customary food gathering <ref name=Korowai /> and these reserves can only be applied for over traditional fishing grounds, and must be areas of special significance to the tāngata whenua. Commercial fishing is prohibited within these reserves. Tāngata whenua appoint tānagata tiaki to manage mātaitai, which a tāngata tiaki does by creating the bylaws.

====Rāhui====

A rāhui is a temporary closure. A temporary closure is allowed for under Section 186 of the Fisheries Act 1996 and provides for fishing to cease or be restricted in New Zealand waters of the South Island as part of the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. The purpose of a rāhui is to improve the size and/or availability of fish stocks, or to recognise their use and management by tāngata whenua. However, under Section 186b of the Fisheries Act 1996 a temporary closure may not be in force beyond 2 years after the date of its notification, but the rāhui may be extended beyond the two-year period.<ref name=fa /> A rahui can be applied for and emplaced for any particular seasons, months, weeks, days or dates.

==Case studies==

===Kaikōura===

====Introduction====
[[Kaikōura]] is a small coastal community on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand with a long history of coastal resource use and remains an important component of the identity of the local tāngata whenua. Manawhenua (tribal authority) over this area is held by Ngāti Kuri, one of 18 [[Ngāi Tahu]] [[Ngāi Tahu#Papatipu runaka|papatipu rūnanga]], and have had increased opportunities to develop a local community management strategy, incorporating socio-cultural values along with those of the biophysical.<ref name=Hemmingsen2009 /> This has been done in cooperation with government, fisheries stakeholders and community agencies. There are a number of issues on tāngata whenua values including water quality issues impacting on kai moana being faced by this Rūnanga that stem from tourism, fishing and other resource uses.<ref name=ec />

====Progress in Kaitiakitanga====

=====Environmental management Plan=====
In order to provide a framework for the Rūnanga to effectively apply tangata whenua values and policies to natural resource and environmental management in the areaTe Rūnanga o Kaikōura developed Te Poha o Toha Raumati: Te Runanga o Kaikoura Environmental Management Plan (Te Poha).<ref name=tepoha>Te Rūnanga o Kaikoura (2005). Te Poha o Toha Raumati: Te Runanga o Kaikōura Environmental Management Plan. Kaikōura, New Zealand: Te Runanga o Kaikōura, Takahanga Marae.</ref> The plan took effect from 2005. Te Poha provides a written statement that consolidates Ngāti Kuri values, knowledge and perspectives on natural resource and environmental management issues, including the coastal marine area and is an expression of kaitiakitanga.<ref name=tepoha /><br />
The plan has a number of stated purposes: to describe the values underpinning the relationship between Ngāti Kuri and the natural environment, to identify the primary issues associated with natural resource and environmental management within the takiwā, articulate Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura policies and management guidelines for natural resource and environmental management, including the coastal environment, and to provide continuity between the past, the present and the future.<ref name=tepoha /> All these purposes are intended to be viewed and be consistent with Ngāti Kuri values.<br />
Further, the stated purpose of this plan is to provide a tool for Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura to not only effectively and proactively apply Ngāti Kuri values to the management of natural resources, wāhi tapu and wāhi taonga, but also to give assistance to local, territorial and national authorities to understand Ngāti Kuri values and perspectives, and fulfil their statutory obligations under the Resource Management Act 1991, Conservation Act 1987 and other environmental legislation.<ref name=Korowai />

=====Kaikoura Marine Strategy=====
In addition to the Environmental Management Plan there is the Kaikōura Marine Strategy developed by Te Korowai o Te Tai ō Marokura (Kaikōura Coastal Marine Guardians) and is currently in proposal form.<ref name=Korowai /> Te Korowai membership is not only that of Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura, but also local organisations involved at differing levels of responsibility such as Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Kaikōura District Council and various concerned government ministries and interest groups. It is this inclusion of local, regional and national organisations that strengthens the opportunities for Ngāti Kuri values and kaitiakitanga principles to be supported in any proposed implementations in the frequently socially and politically contentious coastal environment.<ref name=Hemmingsen2009 />
Based from local knowledge and best available science the Kaikoura Marine Strategy has a vision formed around four outcomes and four “cross cutting implementation actions”.<ref name=Korowai /> These outcomes are fishing for abundance, protecting local treasures, living sustainably and sustaining customary practices with the implementation actions being engaging understanding, governance, compliance and monitoring and review.

=====Issues and action=====
For the tāngata whenua of this coastal area there has been concern over the prevalence of black market and poaching of fish and other seafood in the Kaikōura area. Further, with no fisheries officer based in Kaikōura it is the local community that have been mostly required to monitor the fishing in the area.<ref name=Hemmingsen2009>Hemmingsen, S. A. (2009). Indigenous Coastal Resource Management: An Australian and New Zealand Comparison. Australian National University, Canberra.</ref> Due to the pressures from the combination of recreational, commercial and customary harvesters depleting fish stocks a section 186b temporary closure as a form of rāhui was proposed and emplaced on the Waiōpuka reef area of the Kaikōura Peninsula, see figure 2.<ref name=Korowai /> This rahui has been renewed three times and has been very successful.<ref>[http://www.kaikoura.govt.nz/community/rahui/index.htm "Kaikoura's Rahui"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502025203/http://www.kaikoura.govt.nz/community/rahui/index.htm |date=2012-05-02 }}, Kaikoura District Council</ref>

==Wider modern use of the term==
The term kaitiaki is increasingly used in New Zealand for broader roles of trusteeship or guardianship—especially in public sector organisations, as these examples demonstrate:

* A proposed "Governance-Kaitiaki group" to oversee electronic authentication by government<ref>[http://www.e.govt.nz/archive/services/authentication/tikanga-200408/chapter7.html "Research of issues for Māori relating to the Online Authentication Project"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070308214602/http://www.e.govt.nz/archive/services/authentication/tikanga-200408/chapter7.html |date=2007-03-08 }}</ref>
* New Zealand's Chief Ombudsman is ''"Nga Kaitiaki Mana Tangata"'' in [[Māori language|Māori]] (i.e. "The guardian of the people")<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ombudsmen.govt.nz/ |title=Home - Ombudsmen |access-date=2007-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701222533/http://www.ombudsmen.govt.nz/ |archive-date=2007-07-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* The role of kaitiaki in the management of the [[Koha (software)|Koha]] software project<ref>[http://old.koha.org/about-koha/faq.html#faq19 ''"Who is this Kaitiaki person?"'', from koha.org]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* Those who oppose the planned housing development at [[Ōtuataua and Ihumātao|Ihumātao]] refer to themselves as kaitiaki, and set up a camp on the site in 2016 which became known as Kaitiaki Village.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/when-worlds-collide-2/|title=When worlds collide|first=Leonie|last=Hayden|magazine=New Zealand Geographic|issue=147|date=September 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Coastal Management]]
* [[Hima (environmental protection)]]
* [[Māori influence on New Zealand English]]
* [[Māori language]]
* [[Māori religion]]
* [[Stewardship (theology)]]
* [[Traditional Ecological Knowledge]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100331183436/http://www.globalfocus.org.nz/edservices/smallworld/ Climate Survivor - fighting climate change in the Pacific]

==External links==
*{{Commonscatinline|Kaitiakitanga}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080804013239/http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/Conservation/KaitiakitangaGuardianshipAndConservation/en ''Kaitiakitanga – guardianship and conservation''] in Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand

[[Category:Māori religion]]
[[Category:Māori words and phrases]]
[[Category:Māori culture]]
[[Category:Māori science]]
[[Category:Environmentalism and religion]]
[[Category:Indigenous peoples and the environment]]

IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Kaitiakitanga