Ashley Rakahuri School - Cultural Narrative
In 2024 we were gifted our Cultural Narrative by Ngāi Tūāhuriri and we are very excited to share this here with you….
The school was gifted the name because it is named after the Ashley River. Rakahuri is the Māori name for the river. Given its relevance, we thought that would be most appropriate. Below is an explanation of the cultural significance and importance of the river.
The Rakahuri is the awa that flows south eastwards before entering the Pacific Ocean at Waikuku Beach. It has long been a source of mahinga kai for Ngāi Tūāhuriri. Some of the main sources of food foraged from this place are where kāuru (cabbage tree root), aruhe (bracken fernroot), tuna (eels), matamoe (shortfin eel), and panako were gathered. The most important place for taking food was at the river mouth, known as Te Akaaka. The lower tributaries are important breeding habitats for inanga (whitebait), waikōura (freshwater crayfish), tuna (eels) and others. Various types of freshwater shellfish were also taken from the Rakahuri. However, this local catchment has also been greatly altered by wetland drainage and land use changes, including stock access. Taranaki Stream, a tributary near the Taranaki floodgate, is the most important mahinga kai in a modern context on the Rakahuri. During the whitebait season, Ngāi Tūāhuriri have traditionally camped by the Taranaki to catch fish by setting up makeshift huts on the stream banks. However, in 1987, the Rangiora County Council passed a by-law that stopped the erection of temporary buildings in the area. This in effect, forced a number of Ngāi Tahu to abandon their customary food gathering practices.
