Latest news with #Rangitāne
.avif%3Ftrim%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
5 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Significant archaeological site could be washed away by the 2100s
One of Aotearoa New Zealand 's oldest settlement sites is at risk of being washed away by rising seas, according to new research. Te Pokohiwi o Kupe (Wairau Bar) near Blenheim is a nationally significant archaeological site. It dates back to the first arrival of people and holds the remains of first-generation Polynesian settlers as well as many cultural artefacts. The site is significant for the local iwi, Rangitāne o Wairau, because of its history of colonial exploitation and the eventual repatriation of koiwi tangata (ancestral remains) in 2009, which marks an important moment in the modern history of Rangitāne. Coastal flooding is already a hazard at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, but this increases dramatically as sea level rises. The study, led by Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau in partnership with researchers at Earth Sciences NZ, shows about 20% of the site could be inundated during a 100-year storm event under current sea levels. But with 50 centimetres of climate-driven sea-level rise, which could occur as soon as the 2050s under high-emissions scenarios, more than half of the site could flood in the same event. If sea levels rise to a metre, which could be reached during the early 2100s, three-quarters of the site will be inundated and subject to significant erosion. From grave robbers to collaborators During the first part of the 20th century, the site was raided by fossickers searching for curios. In 1939, they uncovered an urupa (cemetery) and disinterred the remains of one of the earliest ancestors, along with their sperm whale tooth necklace and moa egg. Further 'discoveries' drew Roger Duff, then an ethnologist at the Canterbury Museum, to the site in 1942. He led several excavations until the summer of 1963-64. The Rangitāne community protested the excavations. Tribal elder Hohua Peter MacDonald was particularly vocal, but the tribe was unable to prevent the digs and the removal of ancestors and their burial goods. In 2003, Rangitāne presented their Treaty of Waitangi claims before the Waitangi Tribunal. The tribunal agreed the Crown had breached the treaty in its dealings with the tribe and subsequent negotiations saw land at Te Pokohiwi returned to Rangitāne. These land parcels were close to where ancestors had been taken and the remains were eventually returned in 2009. Prior to the repatriation, the University of Otago, Canterbury Museum and Rangitāne agreed that research, including genetic sequencing of the koiwi tangata and an archaeological survey of the site, would take place before the reburial. Due to their past experiences, Rangitāne had little trust in the scholastic community. But in a first of its kind, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the parties. Maintaining connections Our study used high-resolution, local-scale analysis of sea-level rise and coastal change to assess the risk to archaeological taonga (treasures) and wāhi tapu (sacred sites) at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe. By combining the knowledge of Rangitāne hapū (sub-tribal groups) about the site's boundaries and locations of ancestral or archaeological taonga with LiDAR-derived topographic data, the research team mapped its exposure to present-day and future coastal inundation from spring tides and storm-wave events. Sea-level scenarios were consistent with the latest projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national guidelines to estimate the likely timing of future inundation. Results suggest climate-driven shoreline changes and permanent inundation will increasingly threaten this culturally and archaeologically significant site. While this research focused on relative and extreme sea-level inundation risks, earlier palaeo-tsunami studies show the area is also known to be exposed to tsunami hazards. Ongoing research supported by a Natural Hazards Commission grant seeks to expand on our findings by integrating multiple inundation types with iwi-led experiences of impacts and mitigation. The goal is to develop new inclusive approaches for quantifying the effects of compounding inundation hazards. The integrated place-based approach underpinning this research supports dialogue about adaptation and rescue options for protecting sacred sites threatened by climate change through a combination of locally led and nationally supported interventions. For Rangitāne, Te Pokohiwi o Kupe is a place where relationships are maintained, responsibilities upheld and identity reaffirmed. While its archaeological value is widely recognised, its deeper significance lies in the enduring connection Rangitāne maintain with the whenua (land) and with the stories, knowledge and obligations it carries. Over time, the nature of that relationship has evolved. What was once marked by protest and exclusion has shifted into a place of active management and leadership, in part supported through the return of the land as part of the iwi's treaty settlement. Now, with growing threats posed by sea-level rise and coastal erosion, that connection faces a different kind of challenge. The concern is not only for what may be physically lost, but for what it might mean to lose the ability to stand in that place, to gather there and to sustain the relationship that has grounded generations of Rangitāne people in Wairau. The focus is not only on preserving what remains, but on ensuring the connection to Te Pokohiwi continues, even as the landscape changes. More than protecting a site, this is about protecting the ability of Rangitāne to remain in meaningful relationship with Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, its stories and its significance. Peter N. Meihana is a Senior Lecturer in History, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Massey University. Corey Hebberd, Kaiwhakahaere Matua, Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Trust, Indigenous Knowledge.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
'Birthplace of the nation' threatened by climate change
Looking north across the Wairau Bar. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee The Wairau Bar, or Te Pokohiwi o Kupe in Marlborough, one of the oldest and most significant archaeological sites in New Zealand, is at risk of being flooded by rising sea levels, according to a new study. One of the study's co-authors Corey Hebberd, a descendant of local iwi Rangitāne o Wairau, said the site is important not only for Rangitāne, but for all of Aotearoa. "Te Pokohiwi o Kupe is one of the earliest known human settlement sites in Aotearoa, it dates back to at least 1250. We regard it as the birthplace of the nation it was a landing site for some of our first settlers," Hebberd said. "The site itself holds a range of artefacts but also more importantly koiwi tangata, so ancestral remains, and for Rangitāne o Wairau it's a sacred wāhi tapu." As New Zealand was one of the last places in the world to be settled, Te Pokohiwi o Kupe has a worldwide significance as the landing sight of some of those first settlers, he said. "It tells a story that's important to us as Rangitāne, but also an important story for Aotearoa, but we think internationally as well," Hebberd said. The Wairau Bar sits at the mouth of the Wairau River with the sea on one side and a lagoon on the other, leaving it susceptible to erosion on both sides, Hebberd said. Rangitāne worked in collaboration with NIWA to model flooding impacts in a one in 100 year storm event, he said. "The current modelling shows that the site could be potentially susceptible to a one in 100 event and be 20 percent inundated, but, obviously, we know that's going to get worse as sea level rise takes place," Hebberd said. "We're expecting that around the 2050s, sea level will have risen by another half a meter, and when we start getting to that point those storm events start to inundate the site closer to 50 percent." Even more concerning, as the sea level approaches a one meter sea level rise, which modelling shows will happen sometime between 2070 and 2130, approximately 75 percent of the site could be at risk, he said. "For me, sometimes these threats, the talk of sea level rise and the talk of the storm impacts, it feels so far away, but we're actually starting to see it now," Hebberd said. "When we talk about a one meter sea level rise and 75 percent of the site being at risk, that's in my lifetime and that places a real burden and sense of responsibility on my generation." We have a responsibility to make sure that the stories and the richness of the site isn't lost, he said. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Recent heavy rains in the Nelson Tasman region have had a negative effect on the site, although it has escaped any major damage. But Hebberd said each major flooding event leads to further erosion. Protecting the most vulnerable parts of Te Pokohiwi o Kupe from storm events could involve soft engineering, he said. For example, by adding native plants to the bar to bind the soil together and prevent erosion. "It's a really good opportunity for us to turn our minds to the policy and planning settings that we work within both locally and nationally," Hebberd said. "I mean this site is one of many, not only in our rohe, but nationally, that will be exposed to weather events and so we need to start thinking about how we take care of and protect them." Hebberd said the collaboration between NIWA and Rangitāne weaved together mātauranga Māori and science. "Our whānau were really supportive of the work that we did, our whānau were engaged throughout the research project, including contributing interviews, spending time with the research team around their experience of previous flooding events in the area." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
10-07-2025
- Science
- 1News
Threat to one of NZ's oldest burial sites the 'canary in the coal mine'
One of New Zealand's earliest and most significant archaeological sites is at risk of rising sea levels driven by climate change, according to a new study. Referred to as the birthplace of the nation, the Wairau Bar, or Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, in the Marlborough region is widely regarded as the landing site of the first settlers from Polynesia. One of the study's authors Corey Hebberd of local Rangitāne o Wairau iwi told Breakfast that the site had been subject to science and research in the 1940s, despite protest from local iwi. He said it resulted in the remains of 60 tupuna and their associated taonga being uplifted 'in the name of research' by the then Dominion Museum. Only in relatively recent times were they repatriated and returned to the Wairau Bar for burial. 'So it's a significant site,' said Hebberd, 'not just for us as Rangitāne, not just for us as Māori, but for the country as that place of first settlement that links us to Hawaiki and serves as our first place of settlement". ADVERTISEMENT Now there are concerns around the impact of climate change on the site. Hebberd referred to recent weather events that have caused severe flooding to the top of the South Island. 'We seem to be having 1 in 100-year storm events every year. The site as we've found through the research project is susceptible to 1 in 100-year flooding events, and by that we mean that 20% of the site could be impacted, meaning disturbing of middens, of artefacts, of burial sites.' The more worrying concern, he said, is the threat from rising sea levels. The research suggests that approximately 54% of heritage land becomes affected by a 100-year storm inundation event with a 0.5 metre increase in sea level – likely to be reached between 2045 and 2060. The modelling also suggests that a 1 metre sea level rise is likely to be reached between 2070 and 2130, where approximately 75% of heritage land then becomes compromised by a 100-year storm inundation event. Alongside whānau, the iwi have been working closely with NIWA – which has newly merged with GNS Science to become Earth Sciences New Zealand – for the past couple of years. ADVERTISEMENT 'We've been modelling former storm events, we've been creating vulnerability maps, but we've also been engaging with our whānau to understand in their lifetime some of the memories that they have of the flooding impacts of the flooding events.' From their research they are developing a model that talks to the cultural impact the events have beyond the coastal and environmental. Corey Hebberd (Source: Breakfast) Hebberd said in some respects their findings have been alarming. 'You sometimes think that these things might not happen in your lifetime but, you know, the years that I've just rattled off, I'm a child of the 90s, those will happen in my lifetime and they become a real responsibility for my generation and generations to come.' He hopes the model they are working on will lead to further exploration and development of tools that can help mitigate the threat to the site. 'Like what are the soft engineering features that we can start to do, are there things that could slow down erosion, are there protections that we can put in place, what research can we do in the meantime to understand the area' ADVERTISEMENT 'There's also the opportunity for us to work together at a national level at a local level to put more protections in place. To raise profiles of sites like this to come up with national planning strategies that address these sites, because they are vulnerable and they are at risk of being lost and they tell so much story, and they tell so much about our national identity.' He describes the situation at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe as 'the canary in the coal mine', pointing to other low-lying sites of archaeological, as well as cultural, significance such as marae and urupā. 'What we're hoping here is that this research will help to develop a new tool that can inform policy and decision makers around some of the cultural impacts that this has around identity and so we can work together to come up with ways to minimise and mitigate the impact that these events have.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fears bodies will wash away as ancient graveyard feels climate impact
Having withstood tsunamis for over 700 years, scientists are warning that an ancient graveyard could be reclaimed by the ocean within a generation. Approximately 75 per cent of heritage land at Wairau Bar on New Zealand's South Island could be lost, due to a deadly mix of rising sea levels and the threat of a one-in-100-year storm wave that could occur before 2130. Members of the local Māori community, the Rangitāne, are discussing whether to remove the bodies or allow them to be taken by the sea. The problem of changing weather patterns destroying cultural sites is causing concern around the world. Two examples include the Moai stone statues at Rapa Nui (Easter Island) being threatened by rising sea levels and increased storm activity, and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland facing degradation from increased rainfall. What's adding to the trauma of the situation at Wairau Bar is the remains of 60 Maori ancestors were only just repatriated to Wairau Bar 16 years ago. They had been taken without permission in the 1940s by the Dominion Museum, now the Canterbury Museum. Prior to their return, several were placed on display, echoing events that occurred at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery where the skeleton of Indigenous woman Truganini was placed in a glass cabinet. Artefacts taken at the same time remain in collections around the world, including the Russian Naval Museum and Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum. Related: 🙏 Australian museum's 'important' act towards New Zealand Corey Hebberd is a co-author of the paper and the general manager of one prominent "iwi" or tribe, the Rangitāne o Wairau. He still hopes these artefacts, known as taonga, could one day be returned home to an area where they are protected. 'The dream for us is that they come home to Wairau. They have a story to tell about the birthplace of our country and the Wairau Bar,' he told Yahoo News. But now, because of the changing climate, he's working on two fronts — the 'unfinished business' of bringing home the taonga, and ensuring those that remain in the ground aren't lost. 'We've got less time than we thought we had. I'm 30, and some of the modelling around inundation suggests it will happen in my lifetime,' he told Yahoo News. Wairau Bar, also known as Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, is a 19-hectare gravel bar that was home to at least 200 people after it was settled in the mid-1200s to early 1300s. Today it is covered in grass, and because of its isolation, the only sounds are those of birds, the ocean, and a nearby river. On a clear day, you can look across the water and see the capital, Wellington. The region has been subject to at least three major tsunamis, which likely forced out human settlers. But modelling indicates that climate change will increase threats to the site, primarily because one metre of sea level rise is expected between 2070 and 2130 if fossil fuels continue to be burned at current rates. 🪶 Concern as rare birds retreat to mountains where giant moa became extinct 🔎 Amazing vanishing world recreated on 12,300 hectare property in heart of outback 🚨 'Rule' Aussies must follow if they see one of world's rarest creatures Rangitāne o Wairau worked with Earth Sciences New Zealand to determine the impact of this problem coupled with extreme storm waves. They completed a first-order assessment of the site, and their research was published in the MAI Journal on Thursday. Its lead author, Shaun Williams from Earth Sciences New Zealand, explained that saltwater intrusion could already be compromising some of the artefacts at the site. Other immediate threats are coastal erosion and the slow onset of sea level rise, but an extreme one-in-100-year wave or a large tsunami could overwhelm most of Wairau Bar. But as the sea level rises over time, it will intensify the impact of any tsunami. 'If the same event were to happen today, compared to 50 or 100 years later, its impact would probably be more far-reaching,' he told Yahoo News. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
RNZ News
04-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Pūkaha Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre doors stay open after multi-million-dollar deal
Photo: Supplied/ Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre The cavalry has arrived for a beleaguered wildlife sanctuary on the brink of closure. Pūkaha Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre, on the border of Tararua and Masterton districts, replaced its entire board last month after issuing an urgent plea for financial help . The new board has now confirmed the doors will stay open after a multi-million-dollar deal was reached with iwi and creditors. Chair Shane McManaway said the board had worked tirelessly to save one of the country's most "important conservation centres and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife", but it was not "out of the woods completely". At the heart of the deal was an agreement with Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā Trust to buy Pūkaha's Whare Wānanga complex and take over a $1 million loan from Tararua District Council to the centre. Trust chair Sonya Rimene said Pūkaha was a taonga (treasure) that held a significant place in the iwi's history. She said the prospect of its closure had been devastating and the final deal was a "win-win" that would "strengthen our connection to our whenua, taonga, and allow Pūkaha Mt Bruce to pay its creditors and reset its working capital position". She said there was a still work to do to convert the heads of agreement into a sale and purchase for the Whare Wānanga. "There's been a lot of sweat, tears and many hui ... to get to this point. "It was hard, but we were really clear that whatever decisions we make had to be a what we call a 'mokopuna decision' and we think we've got that." Tararua mayor Tracey Collis said it was a huge relief that Pūkaha had been saved. She the deal was slightly bittersweet for ratepayers - given the council had agreed to forego $146,000 interest in the loan transfer to Rangitāne - but said the centre was important for conservation and tourism in the area. Also coming to Pūkaha's aid, was Central Energy Trust with a $1 million grant, and a $200,000 long-term loan from Masterton District Council. McManaway said the board was hugely grateful for all the support. He said the next six months would be a challenge as the board and Rangitāne finalised their deal and a new operating model to ensure the centre's viability was established. Department of Conservation acting director Angus Hulme-Moir said he was thrilled that the sanctuary's important conservation work would continue and was "looking forward to an ongoing and strong relationship with Pūkaha and Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā". Meanwhile, an engineering firm who hadn't been paid by the wildlife sanctuary for months, was hopeful it would see the $244,000 it was owed. The stoush over the unpaid invoice had seen Brent Reid, co-director of local Masterton firm BK Engineering, strip the doors off the aviaries he had been contracted to build. Speaking to RNZ this week, Reid said there was no money in the bank yet, but a lot of promises. "I think we will get paid, but I'm not celebrating until I see our bank account go up."
