September 26, 2013
Wetland reveals cultural history
Maori fisheries settlement money is helping a Waikato University student with her mahi bridging freshwater ecology and Maori cultural knowledge.
Rona scholarship winner Mahuru Robb from Ngati Awa and Ngati Ranginui is studying the Toreparu wetland, just south of Raglan, working closely with people from Motakotako Marae who regularly gather food in the area.
She’s trying to develop a set of unique cultural indicators, rather than just standard scientific measures.
"There’s a whole lot of other values associated with wetland health. Obviously the size and health of the fish themselves is quite a big one. The size of the catch each year. Also the significance of specific sites around and in the wetland, so sites that were once pa tuna or eel weirs, areas that were once thick with middens and pa sites increase the importance of that area for local people," Ms Robb says.
There were 10 Rona scholarships of $10,000 each handed out by Te Putea Whakatupu Trust to students completing a degree in fisheries, aquaculture or marine sciences, and another 30 scholarships for Maori completing a bachelor degree in business, management, or commerce.
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