Muttonbird islands 'essential' to Maori life, High Court told

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

A map shows the two islands which are subject of an application for Coastal Marine Title being heard at the High Court in Invercargill.

One of Southland's most respected Maori leaders has described the importance of the muttonbird islands and the water around them at a High Court hearing.

Jane Davis, a descendant of Rakiura Maori, has been a muttonbirder all her life, involved with the Waitangi Tribunal, a member of the Ngai Tahu Maori Trust board, a member of the Southland Conservation board, is a kaumatua for Oraka Aparima Runanga, and advocated for the return of crown muttonbird islands to Rakiura Maori.

Davis gave evidence during the third day of the hearing for Denis Tipene's application for a coastal marine title to cover an area near two muttonbird islands on behalf of Rakiura Maori, before Justice Jillian Mallon in the High Court at Invercargill on Wednesday.

The title would apply to a 200-metre area around a rock between Tamaitemioka and Pohowaitai islands, and includes the landing area for the islands.

A customary marine title, which was introduced under the Coastal Marine Act 2011, recognises property rights of indigenous people that have continued since or before acquisition of Crown sovereignty to the present day.

It recognises the relationship that has existed, and will continue to exist, between iwi, hapu and whanau and the common marine and coastal area.

The two islands affected by the application are Titi [muttonbird] islands, and are southwest of Stewart Island.

* Muttonbird island application hearing begins in High Court

Davis was asked to give evidence at the hearing in an advisory role, as an expert in Maori culture and tradition relating to the muttonbird islands.

She told the court about her upbringing, and how muttonbirding was part of the fabric of her whanau.

It was Davis' grandmother and mother who taught her about muttonbirding on Putauhina island, which is the next closest island to the two that are the subject of the application.

Her grandmother and mother taught her that 'if you look after the island, the island will look after you,' she said.

In the weeks leading up to the muttonbirding season, her family's kitchen would be full of harakeke [flax], and her grandmother's cousins would travel to their home to help make kete [baskets] for use on the island during the season.

Caring for the natural habitat was an important part of growing up, for example, Davis was taught to cut firewood from fallen trees instead of living ones whenever possible, she said.

Essential to the muttonbird season, when Maori spent months on the islands, was the landing places, where people would catch fish from the sea.

Her family would often catch blue cod, 'however it is noted blue cod is not as prolific as it once was', Davis said.

While recent restrictions preventing paua and kina from being commercially gathered from certain areas, they did not protect blue cod, she said.

'Te hikoi o te titi [the journey to the muttonbird islands] was a natural and essential part of their lives … fishing from landings was a huge part of that and a huge part of our survival.'

She also described how access to the islands had changed through the generations.

'With the aid of modern technology our transportation has moved from waka to fishing and charter boats … although technology has changed I believe we still put into practice today [our traditions],' she said.

Travel to the islands was once a collective effort, regardless of which island you belonged to.

In the 1940s and early 1950s, one big vessel would take all of the families to their respective area, stopping at each location.

'Whanau packed kai to share [with other families] on the journey … [we] dropped whanau off at destinations along the way,' Davis said.

Eventually, some whanau were able to afford their own fishing boats, until today, when almost all travel to the islands as individuals and no longer as one big group.

But the culture, importance, and tradition of that journey and of hunting muttonbirds remained the same, she said.

'We still pass on the traditions of our tikanga [culture or custom] to our children and grandchildren.

'I believe we have not strayed too far from the original hunter gatherer ways,' she said.

It was still important for Maori to be able to catch a fish while on the island, as it was a normal part of life, she said.

'We would be cleaning the birds or getting towards the end of what our work was with the titi and my husband would say to the boys, 'hurry up boys and we'll go down and get a fish for tea'.

'That was all part of what life was.'

The hearing continues on Thursday.