Te Awa Tupua
Posted: September 12, 2012 Filed under: News | Tags: belonging, community and place, genius loci, place, place meaning, spirit of place, sustainable development 1 CommentNews of an astonishing agreement that recognises the status of a river in New Zealand as Te Awa Tupua, i.e. “an integrated, living whole”. New Zealand’s Minister for Treaty for Waitangi Negotiations, Christopher Finlayson stated:
Under the settlement, the river is regarded as a protected entity, under an arrangement in which representatives from both the iwi and the national government will serve as legal custodians towards the Whanganui’s best interests.
Adding:
Whanganui iwi also recognise the value others place on the river and wanted to ensure that all stakeholders and the river community as a whole are actively engaged in developing the long-term future of the river and ensuring its wellbeing.
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0)