Ruaka Marae during the signing of Ruruku Whakatupua in 2014. Photo / NZME
Whanganui iwi are set to celebrate 10 years since the signing of Ruruku Whakatupua - the Whanganui River Deed of Settlement.
It was signed by iwi and the Crown at Ruakā Marae in Rānana on August 5, 2014, with Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui set up as the post-settlement river governance entity.
Chief executive Nancy Tuaine said a two-day event on August 5-6 would mark the milestone.
She said the first day would focus on the iwi of Te Awa Tupua and their supporters and it was “dedicated to those who have been part of this transformative journey”.
“Inspirational speakers who have driven systemic change in line with Ruruku Whakatupua will present alongside local projects tailored to our specific environments.”
Speakers on day one include Makareta Takahia Tawaroa (Whanganui), Ani Mikaere (Ngāti Raukawa), Liana Poutu (Te Āti Awa) and Kirsti Luke (Tūhoe).
Whanganui iwi first petitioned the Crown over concerns about the welfare of the river in the 1870s.
Te Awa Tupua - the Whanganui River Claims Settlement Bill - passed into law on March 15, 2017, with the river legally recognised as a living and indivisible whole from the mountains to the sea, including all its physical and metaphysical elements.
Tuaine said day two of the event was open to anyone keen to learn more about Te Awa Tupua and the achievements of Ruruku Whakatupua.
“Like anything, it takes time for people to really understand what we set out to achieve and what it means, given the value system comes from our indigenous knowledge set,” she said.
“The whole way of looking at Te Awa Tupua is actually being more collective - in the way you do things but in the way you invest and the way you do activities.”
She said one example was a recent partnership with Queensland’s Griffith University.
“They have created a modelling tool around building catchment resilience because of the extreme flooding events they have had.
“We have gone over to work with them, to teach some of our people who can come home and use that model across our catchment, with the idea of creating a single focus for everybody.”
A lot of the sediment that built up in the lower reaches of the Whanganui River came from the top of the catchment, Tuaine said.
“Unless we address the top, we are only ever going to react down here.
“Te Awa Tupua says you have to recognise the connectivity of the river system. You have to work with the whole in order to achieve improvements.”
Tuaine said there would always be a certain part of the population unwilling to engage with the values of Te Awa Tupua but its strategy group, Te Kōpuka nā Te Awa Tupua, was “inclusive of everybody”.
The group is made up of iwi, central government, councils and industry.
“When we were developing the negotiation process, we said everybody who lives alongside the river has a role to play.”
Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui fielded requests weekly from overseas parties interested in the Te Awa Tupua legislation, she said.
“Internationally, there is an eagerness to learn about what it means, particularly with those who love their rivers. They want to see the same respect given.
“Locally, it’s still a little bit of a task to get people on board. We will still be here when they are ready.”
He Pukenga Wai: The Whanganui River Symposium takes place on August 5-6 at the Whanganui War Memorial Centre. For more information and to purchase tickets for day two, visit Eventbrite.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.