In 2017 the Whanganui River was given the legal status of a person. Photo / File
In 2017 the Whanganui River was given the legal status of a person. Photo / File
As we enter a new decade, we take a look back at some of the biggest stories that hit the headlines in Whanganui over the past 10 years
March 2017 marked a momentous occasion for Whanganui iwi with a unique Treaty of Waitangi settlement giving the Whanganui River the legalstatus of a person.
Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement Bill) passed into law on March 15 after the third reading of the bill.
The settlement included $80 million in financial redress, $30m towards a contestable fund to improve the health of the river, and $1m to establish the legal framework for the river.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson said the settlement brought the longest-running litigation in New Zealand history to an end. Whanganui iwi had fought for recognition of their relationship with the river since the 1870s, he said.
Iwi marked the passing of the legislation with a waiata in the House.
For many people, the most intriguing aspect of the settlement was the status awarded to the awa which gave it all the "rights, duties and liabilities that come with personhood".
The river would be represented by two pou (poles, supports) appointed by Whanganui iwi and the Crown. The two people, appointed for terms of three years, would speak on behalf of the river, uphold its legal status and values and promote its health and wellbeing.
The deed of settlement says they will also carry out "landowner" functions and administer Te Korotete o Te Awa Tupua, the $30 million contestable fund to support the river's health.
The pou has administrative support from Nga Tangata Tiaki, the river's new governance entity, and advice from Te Karewao, a group of 17 iwi and local authority people.
Te Tai Hauāuru MP Adrian Rurawhe said that in Whanganui, the wellbeing of the river was directly linked to the wellbeing of the people so the concept of treating a river as a person was not unusual for Māori. It was captured in the whakatauki (saying) "E rere kau mai te awa nui mai te Kāhui Maunga ki Tangaroa, ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au." (The river flows from the mountain to the sea, I am the river, the river is me.)
"It's not that we've changed our world view, but people are catching up to seeing things the way that we see them," Rurawhe said.
At least 500 people crowded Ruaka Marae at Ranana for the signing of the Whanganui River settlement in 2014. Photo / File
In November 2017 Dame Tariana Turia and Whanganui Iwi Poukorero (tribal historian) Turama Hawira were inaugurated as Te Pou Tupua at a ceremony in Taumarunui.
"The station of Te Pou Tupua is probably the most important role either Turama or I have ever been appointed to," Dame Tariana said at the ceremony.
"It is a huge honour to represent Te Awa Tupua and to be able to serve the people.
"We cannot do this without speaking to the communities of Te Awa Tupua first. Our initial task will therefore be to seek out and engage the awa community mai i uta ki tai, from the source of the awa to the sea, to gather views on how the new status and Tupua te Kawa can be best utilised in the interests of promoting and enhancing the health and wellbeing of the river and its communities.
"We look forward with eagerness and humility to undertaking this task on behalf of the indivisible and living whole that is Te Awa Tupua."
The river's status has attracted international attention and its legal personhood will be the focus of New Zealand's $53m pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai.
