1 Introduction
Water is fundamentally important for its life-giving essence and spiritual values. Māori philosophy takes a holistic, ki uta ki tai (mountains to the sea) approach to looking after water resources. These principles, and the management practices associated with them, are quite different to current water resource management practices which are based on a purely technical approach. For this reason, iwi need a means to evaluate the health of streams and rivers within their rohe that expresses and accommodates their values and beliefs while at the same time enabling effective communication and working relationships with water managers.
The Cultural Health Index (CHI) offers this. Initially developed on the Taieri and Kakaunui Rivers from stream health evaluations of Ōtakōu and Moeraki Rūnanga stream assessment teams, the index was improved and refined on the Hakatere (Ashburton) and Tukituki Rivers from Arowhenua Rūnanga and the Kahungunu team evaluations respectively. This provided data from a variety of river types (single-channel, rain-fed and braided shingle, snow and rain- fed) and sizes. Three Ngāi Tahu rūnanga in the South Island and Ngāti Kahungunu in the North Island participated.
There was a high level of agreement in the CHI scores relating to stream site status, mahinga kai and stream health provided by four rūnanga/iwi teams for four river catchments. Together with further analysis of combined stream health data, a generic CHI was created. This generic CHI can be used confidently by any iwi at sites on streams of any size or river type. This is an index which allows iwi/hapū to assess the cultural and biological health of a stream or catchment of their choosing.
This report details the development of the CHI. It compares the results of studies involving testing on the different rivers, carries out further analysis of all data sets combined and describes a generic CHI that. we believe, can be applied by any iwi to any river in New Zealand. The report concludes with a discussion of how the CHI responds to the values, beliefs and aspirations of Māori, as well as outlining how its application could assist resource managers, not only to enhance contemporary resource management practice but also to fulfil their obligations stemming from the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand's resource management laws.
1.1 Structure of the Cultural Health Index
The CHI score is made up of three components:
Part 1 - Site status
Identifies whether or not the site is of traditional significance to tangata whenua and can be determined when the sites are first selected. The second part of the status grade indicates whether tangata whenua would return to the site in future.
Part 2 - Mahinga kai
Assesses the mahinga kai values of a site. Examining the health of mahinga kai recognises that mauri is tangibly represented by the physical characteristics of a freshwater resource, including the indigenous flora and fauna, the fitness for cultural usage and its productive capacity.
The mahinga kai measure has four elements, each of which is scored on a 1-5 basis (1 is poor health, 5 is very healthy):
1. Identification of mahinga kai species present at the site. A score is given depending on the number of species present. The productive capacity of a site is reflected in the ability of the freshwater resource to yield mahinga kai.
2. Comparison between the species present today and those sourced traditionally from the site. A score is given based on the number of species of traditional significance that are still present. Maintaining cultural practices, such as the gathering of mahinga kai, is an important way of ensuring the transfer of cultural values through the generations.
3. Access to the site. Do tangata whenua have physical and legal access to the resources they want to gather?
4. Assessment of whether tangata whenua would return to the site in the future as they did in the past.
The four mahinga kai elements are then averaged to produce a single score between 1 and 5.
Part 3 - Cultural stream health
The cultural stream health measure is the average of 1-5 scores awarded to each of eight individual indicators:
1. water quality
2. water clarity
3. flow and habitat variety
4. catchment land use
5. riparian vegetation
6. riverbed condition/sediment
7. use of riparian margin
8. channel modification.
These eight indicators were selected from the combined results of the four catchment studies and are the most objective and accurate reflections of tangata whenua evaluations of overall stream health.
Cultural Health Index
The three components are brought together in an overall Cultural Health Index score.
When the CHI is calculated for a specific site, a score expressed as A-1/3.25/4.87 is generated. This combines the three components as follows.
|
Component 1: |
Component 2: |
Component 3: |
|---|---|---|
|
A - 1 |
3.25 |
4.87 |
This particular CHI score is for Sharplin Falls (Hakatere), a site of traditional significance that Māori will return to, that supports above average mahinga kai values and exceptional cultural stream health values.
Applying the Cultural Health Index
Guidelines have been prepared [Using the Cultural Health Index: How to assess the health of streams and waterways is available on the MfE website] that outline how to identify areas that may need evaluating, how to organise a programme and how to collect and analyse data to determine the CHI. To apply the CHI, members of the iwi/hapū/rūnanga assessment team visit selected sites in a stream catchment and look over a stream reach from a vantage point. The team also walks along the river bank and views the river upstream and downstream, visually assessing the health of the site. At the same time they record their observations by filling in the assessment forms. After the forms have been completed, the information is analysed and a CHI score produced. Creating a CHI score or series of scores is a relatively straightforward process which does not require a major commitment of time on the part of the team members.
The CHI can be used by iwi/hapū/rūnanga for a variety of purposes such as identifying and prioritising stream health problems, evaluating remedial actions aimed at restoring or enhancing stream health, and monitoring stream health of a site or the whole catchment. Use of the CHI in discussions with water managers and others involved in rivers and streams also provides a way of better understanding Māori perspectives and concerns about streams and rivers of value and incorporating these into management decisions.
