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A Cultural Health Index for Streams and Waterways: Indicators for recognising and expressing Māori values

June 2003, Ref. ME475

An interim report prepared for the Ministry to identify mauri (the life force) and mahinga kai (food and other resources) stream health indicators.

This report informed the development of A Cultural Health Index for Streams and Waterways: a tool for nationwide use and Using the Cultural Health Index: How to assess the health of streams and waterways.

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Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

  1. Introduction
    1.1 Relationship to the Ministry for the Environment’s strategic direction
    1.2 Study title and objectives
  2. An Iwi Perspective on Freshwater and Its Management
    2.1 Cultural values
    2.2 The significance of freshwater to Māori
    2.3 Participation of iwi in resource management
  3. Study Design
    3.1 River selection
    3.2 Site selection
    3.3 Selection of indicators of cultural stream health
    3.4 The recording form and data collection
  4. Calculating the Cultural Health Index
    4.1 Component 1: traditional association
    4.2 Component 2: the mahinga kai measure
    4.3 Component 3: cultural stream health measure
    4.4 Is the cultural stream health component of the CHI appropriate for streams of different sizes and for the different rivers?
    4.5 How does the cultural stream health component of the CHI compare to Western scientific measures of stream health?
    4.6 What is the relationship between cultural and Western scientific stream health measures and patterns of catchment land use?
    4.7 Stream health measures and iwi
    4.8 Incorporating tangata whenua values into SHMAK
  5. Applying the Cultural Health Index
    5.1 Capturing an iwi perspective
    5.2 The CHI as a diagnostic and monitoring tool
    5.3 Implementation of the CHI nationwide
    5.4 Incorporating the CHI into resource management processes
  6. Combining Cultural and Scientific Perspectives
  7. Conclusion

Glossary

References

Appendices

  • Appendix 1: Draft River Health Assessment Form
  • Appendix 2: Data Collected at Five Sites
  • Appendix 3: Recommended Recording Form for Future Use
  • Appendix 4: Questions Asked

 

 

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