Kua whai wāhi ngā iwi e whai pānga ana ki te awa o Te Kaituna, tērā ka rere mai i te Rotoiti ki Maketū ki ngā whakataunga whakaora i te whenua me te awa, na runga i te kōkiritanga o tētahi pukapuka rautaki mo te awa o Te Kaituna. Ko te kaitiakitanga ki runga o te awa o Te Kaituna te tirohanga nui mo ngā iwi e tūhono nei ki te awa. Ki tō Dean Flavell, heamana, Te Maru o Kaituna “kua roa mātou e noho tautangata mai tēnei awa, mo te rua rau tau me hoki ka tika! I te pai te awa i te wā i raro i to mātou whakahaere, i tēnei wā kua hoki mai engari me whakatika”. Nō te Pīpiri, i whakarewahia e Te Maru o Kaituna, te rōpū o ngā iwi e whai wāhi ki te awa i to rātou pukapuka rautaki hei tiaki i te awa. Hei tō te mema Māori o Toi Moana a Arapeta Tahana he tauira nui. “Ko te mea pai rawa atu ko te noho ngātahi, i tūatu i tēnā, kia tāea anō ngā iwi te whai wāhi mo to rātou māngai, ō rātou hiahia, ā, o rātou wawata mo te awa, otira mo ngā uri whakatupu”. Ki tā Dean Flavell ka noho tēnei pukapuka rautaki hei arahi i ngā kaunihera ā rohe, iwi me te hapori whānui ki roto i ngā mahi tiaki i te awa. “Me whai wā mātou ki te whakawhiti kōrero ki ngā rōpū e whai pānga ki o tātau awa wai, ko te mea kē he whakakotahi i a mātou”. No Tapuika a Dr Bryce Kihirini, ko rātou tētahi o ngā iwi i whai wāhi ki te waihanga i tēnei kaupapa e ai ki a ia “ko te hiahia, kia pērā tonu mo o mātou mokopuna, mo o mātou tamariki, kia pērā tonu te mahi ki tēnei awa, ara, te haere ki runga ake i te wai, te takaro, te whakakōtahitahi haere i a mātou anō”. Ka whakamahia tēnei pukapuka rautaki ki roto i ngā tau tekau e haere ake nei.
Regional | Tapuika