Lore of sea versus law

By RENEE KIRIONA

Every morning, as Clem Tapihana looks out the window of his beach home at Maketu, he greets the god of the ocean, Tangaroa, with a karakia.

Mr Tapihana, 62, was born and bred in the small town near Te Puke, where in Maori tradition the Arawa canoe landed.

He learned his knowledge of the sea from his father, and yesterday he passed some of it on to his grand-daughter, Miracal, 6, when he took her out to fish for flounder.

"The moana [sea] has always been a central part of my family and iwi's life - it's our main source of kaimoana [seafood], it's the first place that our ancestors touched upon arriving here."

But when he heads out onto the sea today, things will not be quite the same.

"I was always told that the moana is our taonga [treasure] and that we [Maori] own it. My father and his father before him told us not to let anyone take it away from us because we never conceded our rights to anything.

"I tell my mokopuna the same thing and to keep on fighting the system if it gets in their way."

Te Arawa ill meet at Maketu today to discuss the new policy.