Spiritually significant freshwater sources
Before Pākehā arrived, major settlements were sited beside waterways because of their use for such things as transport and gathering food and materials. These waterways are closely linked to the identity of tangata whenua.
Different values and uses
Māori recognise many different types of water and each has different values and uses. Every body of water also has a life force and should not be mixed with water from another source.
Tikanga
Tikanga involving water shows the need of the water to be protected. For example, separate facilities are used for cooking and for washing the body; these waters should not be mixed. Different water sources may be used for different purposes, such as a spring for ritual purposes and a river for ordinary washing.
In some places, different parts of the same river would be named as sources for ritual, for drinking water and for washing. On the other hand, a different time of the day could be set aside for using a river for a range of purposes.
