He said every marae welcome was special because it connected him to the history, culture and whakapapa of a particular iwi.
"Our call here [Putiki] is both a proper courtesy, and the recognises the manawhenua that emanates from here - the centrality of this marae and the strength and resilience of its people."
Mayor Annette Main and a number of Wanganui District councillors joined iwi on the marae. Sir Jerry said he shared the heritage of the Whanganui River, saying it defined everyone's lives as well as the landscape.
He said when he was growing up in Wanganui, the city was the country's fifth largest, and while that ranking had changed, the people of the region were still contributing much to the country's prosperity "through agriculture and tourism, and also through business, education and the arts".
The Governor-General said while the river was a source of connection it had also been the subject of dispute.
"The Treaty of Waitangi claim by Whanganui iwi for the river is rightly described by historians as the longest running legal case in New Zealand history. It speaks of the determination of Whanganui iwi for recognition of their status and on-going connection with the river," he said.
He closed his address with a proverb about the river: "He muka no te taura whiri a Hine Ngakau - A thread from the woven rope of Hine Ngakau".
"The iwi along the river are like the threads of the rope, connected to the river as descendants of Hine Ngakau. I believe it speaks of a wider symbolism that pinpoints the significance of the river as Te Awa Tupua - an integrated living whole, to be cherished guarded and celebrated by everyone.
"And as something that is to be celebrated by everyone, it in turns binds this community together," Sir Jerry said.
