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Te Awa Tupua: What "legal personhood" means for the Whanganui River

Joanna Wane
By
Senior Feature Writer Lifestyle Premium·Canvas·
11 mins to read

In a world first, the Whanganui River was officially recognised in 2017 as a living being with legal rights. Joanna Wane dives into the sacred waters of "Te Awa Tupua".

Phil Collins — no, not that one – doesn't consider himself to be a spiritual person. Well, he's Australian, after all.

Scarred by growing up during a 10-year drought that led to farmers walking off their land, he's spent much of his life since immersed in water. Two days after

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