To witness the present pollution and destruction of some of these areas can be a very deep hurt to the people who once had control of these areas and are still responsible for these areas handed down to them through their ancestors, but now are almost powerless to do anything about them. Again a major factor in having mana as a people is the ability to express mana through the exercise of hospitality. So, in the 1850s when Tamehana Te Waharoa approached different chiefs around the country asking them to accept the title of King of Aotearoa, they refused, one after the other. In refusing they referred to the land over which they had control and to its food resources. The reason they gave for refusing the title was that they did not have the resources to manaaki, to look after the people in a way fitting the position of King.
Land is also our link with our ancestors.
This is perhaps best expressed by the short statements that orators use to identify themselves when beginning a speech. Potikari is the marae. The mountains, standing in line, bare, over there, I greet you. The mountains can be greeted or farewelled any time. The following is a farewell said to Aorangi, 'Mount Cook', the highest mountain in New Zealand, by Karaka Roberts.