Western News: December 20, 2016

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8 Tuesday December 20 2016 Our People WESTERN NEWS Tasman Gillies Environmentalist follows in the Tasman Gillies, 27 of Ngāi Tahu (Ngāti Wheke), is a third generation tāngata tiaki and guardian of Lyttelton Harbour. Annabelle Dick talked to him about his work and how he almost followed a completely different career path You work for Ngāi Tahu, can you tell me about what you do? I’m an environmental advisor – mahinga kai monitoring and enhancement for Ngāi Tahu. You’re also tāngata tiaki – what does that mean and what do you do in that role? Tāngata tiaki are guardians responsible for managing fisheries resources. In regards to my role as tāngata tiaki, it’s an ongoing thing. It’s the legislative side so it’s a ministerial appointment. Effectively we manage the mātaitai (an identified traditional fishing ground with special status) and issue customary fishing permits for the ngāti wheke area. In the harbour, ngāti wheke is a representative on the Whakaraupo/Lyttelton Catchment Management Plan so I’m the science advisor for that. You’re a third generation tāngata tiaki, can you tell me about your family and their involvement? My pōua was involved in the establishment of the first mataitai reserve at Rapaki. The whole purpose is a recognition of rangatiratanga and the relationship with the traditional fishing grounds and customary fishing management within the mataitai. They were made the first ever tāngata tiaki. Did having the family connection prompt you to follow it as a career? It definitely influenced it, but I didn’t go to university intending to study it or come out involved in this area. My Dad’s a GP so I went down to study medicine and in the first year I knew it wasn’t for me. I’m not sure if I would’ve got into my second year, but regardless, I didn’t want to do it. Funnily enough, I told my dad and he laughed and said “good, because I didn’t think you wanted to do it, but I didn’t want to influence your decision.” I laugh at that because I could’ve saved myself a year but, at the same time, I had to realise it. I changed course and ended up gravitating towards marine LEGACY: Tasman Gillies is continuing his family legacy as a third generation tangata tiaki. PHOTO: NGĀI TAHU science and work associated with mahinga kai. Did you learn a lot about your family in the process? Yes. You start to run into people that used to know my pōua and talk to them. The people I work with now at Ngāi Tahu worked with him when he was alive and, being an iwi, some of them are related to him as well so you hear stories. You definitely learn the technical things like dates and specific legislative parts and what mātaitai is and taiapure. Considering the involvement your pōua had, do you feel any pressure to live up to his name? Not at all – if anything it’s more understanding about what he wanted. The process that him and Henry Couch were involved with, and what they did to get the mātaitai in place, it was a lengthy process. For me, it’s about understanding what he wanted to achieve because Ngāi Tahu always uses the saying “Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri, ā muri ake ne,” which means “for us and our children after us.” It’s a pretty straightforward concept. Knowing my pōua was involved in that whole process, and being third generation tāngata tiaki, it’s quite a literal thing for me. In his mind, he wanted to sustain the fisheries and have management over it so our generation could too. It comes back to the concept of kaitiakitanga, or kaitiaki, which means guardianship or stewardship over the environment. Ngāti Wheke is my hapu, so that’s Rāpaki. Our area is Lyttelton Harbour or Whakaraupo and because I whakapapa back to there, kaitiaki or guardianship is also a responsibility – so our world view is we have a responsibility to take care of it as well. OPEN NOW! THE HUB HORNBY RENEGADE RETAILER. SOCIAL HUB. CULTURAL ICON. At COSMIC we offer a shopping experience that’s fresh every time. Our off-beat atmosphere and department store style range includes world class - boutique beauty, and fashion brands, rad gifts, and spiritual products. We’re also NZ’s leading retailer of electronic cigarettes, which are considered by many health authorities to be the biggest public health breakthrough of the 21st century. Come in and meet the team in our new Hornby Location! (COSMIC is located between the Pharmacy and Dowsons Shoes inside the Hub) BEAUTY E-CIGS SPIRITUAL PRODUCTS GIFTS ALT. FASHION AND MORE... THE PALMS 03 385 2949 RE:START 03 385 2949 THE HUB 03 385 2949 AUCKLAND | WELLINGTON | CHRISTCHURCH | DUNEDIN SHOP ONLINE: WWW.COSMICNZ.CO.NZ
Complete and attach to clothing bag for free clothing transport from start to finish. Name: ______________________ Email: ______________________ Phone:______________________ Complete and attach to clothing bag for free clothing transport from start to finish. Name: ______________________ Email: ______________________ Phone:______________________ WESTERN NEWS Tuesday December 20 2016 9 footsteps of his ancestors HOME: Tasman Gillies is at home in the harbour. Being tāngata tiaki is not so much about continuing his legacy – it’s more what I should be doing anyway. The kaitiaki concept isn’t exclusive to Maori, I think people should have a responsibility towards the environment and take care of it because we’re being trusted to take care of it while we’re here for future generations. Did you grow up at Rāpaki? We moved to Rāpaki when I was nine. I was born in Australia and lived in a little town called Alstonville near Byron Bay. Both of my parents are Kiwi and I have two older sisters. We kind of grew up in the bush – we lived in a big valley and the next neighbour was a kilometre away so we had all the room to play around but we had to be careful because it was Aussie. We knew we were Maori but, in Australia, we were absent from the culture in a sense. When I moved here, it was a big learning curve. I think that was why our parents wanted us to move back to see those things. What You does can your also family pin it do? My mum and dad still live in Rāpaki – he’s a doctor. My sister works You can also for pin the it Ministry of Education, but she was previously a Maori teacher at Lincoln High School. My other sister is a dentist in Masterton. What was it like moving to Rāpaki? It was a shock initially. You can know you’re Maori but then someone goes “oh you’re Maori, do you want to be in the Kapa Haka group?” I didn’t even know what that was. People look at you funny because they know 14km 14km things about your culture that you don’t. But in saying that, my sister became a Maori teacher. It’s been a massive learning curve but also a really good one. It’s more than the acknowledgement I’m Maori now. Now I’m part of it. Where did you go to school? I went to Lyttelton West then Cashmere High School. OFFICIAL ENTRY NUMBER: I heard you were head boy, 6km 6km too? You kept that one quiet. Yeah I was . . . that was a laugh. Do you have any hidden talents? I won the dance competition at the work Christmas function out of like 300 people. I don’t know what kind of dancing I was doing OFFICIAL and ENTRY when NUMBER: and where I picked it up . . . I just free-styled. I think I picked it up from those Step Up films from years ago. I was dressed as The Wiggles with a few of the guys from work. What do you do for fun? I love surfing and skiing and I used to do waka ama, too, which is outrigger canoeing. Have you travelled overseas? In 2014, after I had submitted my masters thesis, I went to Canada. I lived in Whistler for a year working at the bar and on the mountain and just skied and had fun. I had a good time and, by the end of the year, I came back wanting to make use of my degree and be more involved in something besides living paycheck to paycheck. Were there any bear encounters? Yeah, walking through the village early morning and I was still quite tired and went through the forest section in the valley. I looked up and there’s a beer standing just in front of me. He didn’t really care so I just turned around cause I didn’t want to deal with it. You get them everywhere. They’re quite clever so a lot of the door handles are knobs because they know how to open the levers. Stuff like that I wasn’t used to. The raccoons were hilarious but they’re the weirdest creatures that waddle around. Intelligro’s Christmas & New Year Opening Hours name signed 2017 14km 6km 19 March 2017 This emergency contact number 2017 sticker is valid for entry into either distance. Must be worn during the event, to claim prizes, and for free entry into OFFICIAL ENTRY NUMBER: This Ferrymead Heritage Park. existing Moving with medical conditionyou for 43 years! 19name th March 2017 • Prize Giving Ferrymead emergency Park. signed contact number existing medical condition 19 th March 2017 • Prize Giving Ferrymead Park. ENTRIES NOW OPEN! $20 Early bird available online Mon 18th - Fri 23rd December 8am - 5pm Saturday 24th December 8am - 3pm Sunday 25th December CLOSED Monday 26th December CLOSED Tuesday 27th December CLOSED Wed 28th - Fri 30th December 8am - 5pm Saturday 31st December 8am - 3pm Sunday 1st January CLOSED Monday 2nd January CLOSED Tuesday 3rd January CLOSED Wednesday 4th January Resume Normal Trading sticker is valid for entry into either distance. Must be worn during the event, to claim prizes, and for free entry into Ferrymead Heritage Park. OFFICIAL ENTRY NUMBER: From the team at Intelligro, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. We want to thank you for your continued support, especially through our big changes. We look forward to seeing you in 2017. Visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/igro.co.nz A Star Media Event Are you up for it? The Star Photo Archive: 1983 city2surf.co.nz www.igro.co.nz | Phone 03 347 9415
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Western News: December 20, 2016

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