Some Place!

Social Studies Online

There is evidence (noted during field work on Mangere Mountain and the surrounding area), that some of the significant archaeological features of this Maori heritage site are at risk.

(eg. damage to the terraces and storage pits; graffiti; erosion of the slopes; garden mounds overgrown)

The City Council has to decide whether or not it should take some responsibility for protecting historic features of Mangere Mountain and its surrounding volcanic field.

In pairs or small groups students will:

1. Describe the Social Issue.

   Possible responses include:

   • This maunga is an important part of Maori history and is being damaged. Maori (and others) feel that important heritage features like this pa site need to be preserved.
   • If people do not respect or insult the land they also insult the people of the land, the tangata whenua.
   • People have not been educated about the significance of this Maori site.
   • Not all people consider Mangere Mountain to be a heritage site worth respecting or preserving. Some think that ratepayers' money could be better spent on other projects elsewhere in the city. Others object to the emphasis on preserving Maori sites all the time.

2. Describe the underlying causes of the issue/problem.

   Possible responses include:

   • The significant archaeological features of Mangere Mountain and the surrounding volcanic field are not being protected at present. The Tangata Whenua are concerned that their taonga (treasure) will be damaged beyond repair.
   • Many people lack knowledge about Maori history. Some users of the mountain do not seem to understand the historical significance of the mountain resulting in archaeological features such as terraces and storage pits being damaged by livestock, walkers and cyclists.
   • Erosion on the slopes, caused mainly by introduced animals (rabbits and cows) is damaging terraces and middens.
   • Although some work has been done on clearing undesirable plants, unique garden mounds and other archaeological features are being overgrown with grass and weeds.
   • No-one seems to take much responsibility for what happens to the mountain.
   • The council has does not have unlimited finance for funding projects and has to prioritise its spending. Not all councillors or ratepayers believe that rates should be used to protect Mangere Mountain.

3. Generate a range of social actions that could be taken to protect important historic features on Mangere Mountain and its surrounding volcanic field and identify possible consequences for each social action.

   Possible responses include:

   Possible Social Action	Possible consequences
   educate people about the history of the tangata whenua (te Wai O Hua)	People might understand why the mountain is so significant for Maori and support council action to protect it; People might accept responsibility themselves to protect the mountain; The tangata whenua can share their history with non Maori.
   restrict access, eg. close the mountain at night like they do at Cornwall Park or charge a toll to go on to the mountain	Might stop some vandalism and graffiti; Might not have much impact at all because most of the damage is done during the day; People who use the mountain without causing damage may also be affected by the restrictions.
   remove cows completely and wipe out rabbits	Would greatly reduce erosion and damage to the terraces, pits and middens; The grass might get out control even more without the cows and rabbits to keep it down; The council would lose the farmer's lease money.
   fence off certain areas	Might protect the archaeological sites from more damage; Costs of constructing and maintaining fences could be quite high - who pays; Grass and weeds could get out of control in the fenced areas so the historic sites would still suffer damage.
   establish a Trust to look after the mountain	The cost of protecting the mountain would not fall totally on the council and ratepayers; People who are genuinely interested in protecting the mountain could become involved; A Trust could involve a partnership between Maori and Pakeha; A Trust might lack the power and authority that a council has; People with expertise in protecting heritage sites could be part of a Trust.
   encourage local people to look after the mountain; get the local schools involved in protecting the mountain.	Locals are right there to prevent vandalism, monitor visitors; Children could learn about their local history and take responsibility for looking after the mountain; The community could work together to protect the mountain; Locals might be concerned about the cost of protecting the mountain.

4. Identify the best/most preferred action and justify it.
   The reasons that the students give to justify their choice are the key to this activity.