He Uru Mānuka — Creative cultural mapping and ‘restorying’ networked relations on the Waiapu River

About this research

Project Summary 

Inspired by a little-known Tīkapa mōteatea, He Uru Mānuka, a love lament set among riverside mānuka groves, this project aims to document and culturally map selected Waiapu River locations pairing customary and contemporary technologies. In February 2023 during Cyclone Gabrielle, Waiapu River flooded to a height of 8 metres which exacerbated existing erosion, and further damaged vulnerable cultural and ecological sites. Once-common species utilised in Ngāti Porou lifestyle practices are severely impacted by rapid environmental change, leading to a loss of cultural knowledge. Yet, these practices foster invaluable and mauri-sustaining relationships with our ancestral river.  

At a time when land is literally disappearing out to sea, this research aims to ‘restory’ our lifeways, linking creative practices with ecology to perpetuate relationships with the lower reaches of the Waiapu. The project’s core objective is to revitalise cultural practices such as net-making and fish weir building, whilst recording valuable data about environmental impacts on plant and fish species, for ngā hapū o Te Wīwī Nāti. 

The project team is drawing on Waiapu maramataka to determine the optimum times to undertake the practical research. Through culturally mapping with the use of contemporary technologies, the research will develop valuable connections between customary narratives of place about pā harakeke, mānuka and kānuka groves and amphidromous fish habitats. The project will create new video and photographic works that will be accessed by our communities and beyond to share the research results.  

Research Question

How might cultural mapping and ‘restorying’ interconnected locations and networked species relations reveal healing narratives to foster engagement with the ecological protection of our living world?

Lead Researcher 

Dr Natalie Robertson, Ngāti Porou, AUT University

Research Team  

Mr Graeme Atkins, Ngāti Porou, Rongomaiwahine, Raukūmara Pae Maunga Restoration Project

Lionel Matenga, Te Whānau a Pōkai

Alex Monteith, Independent

Dr Maree Sheehan, Maniapoto

Dean Savage, Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau

Select Outputs

1. Robertson, N. (2023). AWA—Building pā tauremu Fish Weirs in the Waiapu River. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art, 23(2), 136–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/14434318.2023.2274907 
2. Robertson N (2023) Recreating pā tauremu stone fish weirs in the Waiapu River. International Indigenous Climate Change Research Summit 2023, Auckland, 14 Nov 2023 - 17 Nov 2023. Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga.
3. Robertson, N. (2024). Presentation of He Manako He Pānga Pōuri, He Kōingo  — Afflicted with desire, sadness, and yearning. 2024. Alex Monteith, Natalie Robertson, and Marie Sheehan. Single-channel 4K Video projection, with sound, duration 9:58”. Toi Taiao Whakatairanga Ihirangaranga wānanga, Hinerupe Marae, Te Araroa, April 22-25th 2024. 
4. Robertson, Natalie (2023). Mānukanuka ki Waiorongomai. Apprehension of mānuka on the Waiorongomai river, a tributary leading into Tapuaeroa River, Tairāwhiti (East Cape), Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Triptych. 
5. Robertson, Natalie (2023). Raupeka ki Mangawhariki. Distressed mānuka trees in the Mangawhariki riverbed. Triptych.
6. Robertson, Natalie (2023). Hoake tāua ki Waiapu! Ko te pā tauremu, ko te kupenga taka ki rō wai. Let us make our way to Waiapu! This is the stone fish weir and net immersed in water. Pā tauremu (stone fish weir) and kupenga (fishing net) in the Waiapu River, Tairāwhiti (East Cape), Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Triptych.
7. Robertson, Natalie (2023). Whakawhitirā! Ka titiro ki uta ra ki Hikurangi Maunga. Let it shine! Look inland and afar off to Hikurangi Mountain. Triptych.
8. Monteith, Alex; Robertson, Natalie; Sheehan, Marie. (2024). He Manako, He Pānga Pōuri, He Kōingo  — Afflicted with desire, sadness, and yearning. Single-channel 4K Video projection, with sound, duration 9:55 minutes, looped.