TE AWA TUPUA – THE WHANGANUI RIVER
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Te Awa Tupua – The Whanganui River THE WORLD’S FIRST RIVER TO GAIN RIGHTS AS A LEGAL PERSON
At the heart of Whanganui is a stunning river that winds its way through the city from the mountains to the sea, nourishing both the land and the people that call this beautiful place home.
150 years to have its status recognised at law.
“Ko te tai runga te Awa, ko te Awa te tai raro e kukume nei taku ate.” “The river influences my emotions like the ebb and flow of the tide.”
As well as boasting picturesque and untouched scenes, and offering a wide variety of activities, the Whanganui River tells an even more important story of indigenous values and kaitiakitanga that spans the length of time.
The Whanganui hapū and iwi relationship with the Whanganui River might be best summed up by the edict of the old people: “Kaua e kōrero mo te Awa, me kōrero ki te Awa” - “Do not merely speak of the river, speak instead to the river.” That is, relate to the river and seek its guidance in all things.
Māori communities and traditional marae are peppered along the riverbanks right up to Taumarunui. Such is the importance of the Awa to local Māori that they fought for over
In March 2017 legislation was passed in Parliament establishing a unique legal status for the Whanganui River, that of Te Awa Tupua. Under this new status, the river is recognised
as an indivisible and living whole, comprising the Whanganui River from the mountains to the sea, incorporating all its physical and metaphysical elements. In doing so, the Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017 establishes a framework at law to support the innate values of the Whanganui River practised by Whanganui hapū and iwi for centuries. These four values, called Tupua Te Kawa, will now guide all actions and decision making to provide for the health and well-being of both the river and its peoples. The paradigm shift from merely speaking about the river to actively speaking to the river as a community is powered by this new status and the time-honoured values of Tupua Te Kawa.
Ko tōku mita te ia o Te Awa Tupua Our people, our stories, our way
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