Abstract
For takata whenua, landscapes tell the stories of our whakapapa and experiences as whānau, hapū, and iwi. How we see how whenua interacts with these identities comes down to personal interpretation, where our experiences as takata whenua influence, but do not necessarily dictate, the connection between our Māoritaka and the whenua. Using qualitative research methods, data was retrieved from unpublished manuscripts written by the authors Nana, Marna Dunn, in c. 2000. Interviews were also conducted with a selection of her descendants. These individuals are mana whenua of Makāti (Chaslands Mistake), located on the Catlins coast. Using this data, this research has investigated the connection that Dunn, her tīpuna, and her descendants, have to Makāti, and how this connection influences, and is influenced by, their Kāi Tahutaka/Kāti Māmoetaka. This research centres around the methodology of autoethnography, where the author embraces the self-reflective perspective of the subject matter. The author acknowledges the connection between the self and the research, and uses this for their benefit. Māori protest movements from Parihaka in the nineteenth century, Takaparawhā (Bastion Point) in the 1970s, and Ihumātao since 2016, illustrate that pre-colonial connections to the whenua are still crucial for Māori. This research will demonstrate how these contemporary connections to the whenua fit into a Kāi Tahu/Kāti Māmoe context, using Makāti and the Dunn whānau as a case study. It is generally agreed that Māori kaupapa surrounding the whenua differs from a European viewpoint. This research will explore how Kāi Tahu and Kāti Māmoe specifically view the landscape, and how this does or does not connect with their Kāi Tahu/Kāti Māmoe identity.