Rekohu Environment Resources

Land

What did the groups use the land for ?

Would there be any lasting indications that they had used it?

Possible uses: Crops, farming, firewood, furniture, building material, grazing, shelter, defence, offence, food source, medicines, sacred sites, places of worship, playgrounds, making tools or weapons.

Bush: what did either group use the bush for?

What are the resources that the bush contains?

Islands had different and very specific uses. What could they have been? Would we know today if either of our three groups had used them?

The rocks themselves were very important to each group as each had uses for specific types of stone. It is in the stones and the ground that the most obvious uses by earlier cultures can be identified, both here and in New Zealand. 

The streams and rivers running across the land. How could these have been used?

Plants were gathered for eating and for medicine. Some groups cleared forests for cultivation.

Shelter from the weather, including the sun.

Regular trips were made out to the distant islands as well as those nearby.

Moriori had skill in turning stone to highly polished utensils.

Other groups used rock for fill, construction, or for roading.

Hills also made good windbreaks when positioning a house.

The streams contained eel and whitebait and were also sources of fresh water.  Some streams were big enough to be used as a method of getting around, much easier than walking and quicker as well.

Lakes

Lakes: What possible ways could the the groups have utilised the lakes? What could be ways in which we would know today?

What are the resources within the lakes or around the lakes?

The lakes contain: Fresh water, whitebait, eels, cockles, flounder, herring, and some seals and sea fish. .

The weather: How could the groups possibly have utilised the weather? Would we know today if they had?

Weather means the winds, rain, snow, hail, storms, fine days, hazy days, hot weather and cold. Autumn, spring, summer and winter all meant different things to all of the groups.

Hazy days usually meant that there was a northerly or nor west wind coming which would have meant time to move to a different shelter.

Autumn was a time for gathering birds such as muttonbirds (titi) or albatross (hopo) gulls, swans, pigeon and taiko

Both Moriori and Maori had names for each night of the moon, with each name having a meaning relevant to the amount of moon showing and the probability of catching fish or birds.

Fine weather meant that it was probably okay to voyage the 40 miles to ‘The Sisters’ for albatross or the 9 miles from Rangauria to the Pyramid for mollymawks.

The Sea

How was the ocean used?

Was it just for food or was it a means of getting from A to B?

What are the resources that the sea holds?

How did the groups harness those resources?

Seals, seabirds and fish are all food resources from the sea.

Various kelps and seaweeds were also harvested for specific purposes.

The sea also provided a source of salt and a method of getting to the offshore islands.

The sea was a living entity with its own atua and had to be respected.

Seals provided a necessary source of warm clothing, fat and food. Sea birds provided food , but also feathers and bones, both used for decoration, but the bones also made good tools.