Image: Whangaehu River at Te One Tapu
Te Mana Tupua o Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika
Te Mana Tupua recognises the unique and special nature of Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika. Te Mana Tupua o Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika is:
Nō te kawa ora te ara o Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika me ōna tāngata ki te mana o Tawhito-rangi i heke iho i Te Punga-o-ngā-rangi, inā:
Te Kawa Ora
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Te Mouri Ora
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Te Manawa Ora
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Te Wai Ora
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Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika
Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika is a living and indivisible whole from Te Wai ā-moe to the sea, comprising physical (including mineral) and metaphysical elements, giving life and healing to its surroundings and communities.
Image: Whangaehu River at Te One Tapu
Ngā Toka Tupua o Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika
Ngā Toka Tupua are the intrinsic values for Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika. They represent the essence of Te Waiū and the connections ngā iwi o Te Waiū have with the Whangaehu. Ngā Toka Tupua drive how we, as the iwi, hapū and communities of the Whangaehu, look after and interact with the awa.
Ngā Toka Tupua o Te-Waiū-o-Te-Ika are:
Ko te Kāhui Maunga te mātāpuna
The sacred mountain clan,
the source of
Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika,
the source of life:
Hapū, iwi, and all communities draw sustenance and inspiration from the river’s source on Ruapehu and extending to all reaches of the catchment.
He wai-ariki-rangi,
he wai-ariki-nuku,
tuku iho, tuku iho
An interconnected whole; a river revered and valued from generation down to generation:
Hapū, iwi, and all communities are united in the best interests of the indivisible river as a gift to the future prosperity of our mokopuna.
Ko ngā wai tiehu ki ngā wai riki, tuku iho ki tai hei waiū, hei wai tōtā e
Living, nurturing waters, providing potency to the land and its people from source to tributary to the ocean:
Hapū, iwi, and all communities benefit physically, spiritually, culturally, and economically where water and its inherent life-supporting capacity is valued and enhanced.
Kia hua mai ngā kōrero o ngā wai, kia hua mai te wai ora e
The latent potential of Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika, the latent potential of its hapū and iwi:
Uplifting the mana of Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika in turn uplifts the mana of its hapū and iwi, leading to prosperity and growth for hapū and iwi.
Te Mana o te Awa – Statutory recognition for the awa
Together, Te Mana Tupua and Ngā Toka Tupua make up the statutory recognition of the awa. This means the special nature of the awa, and the connections the hapū, iwi and communities of the awa have with her, are now protected by an Act of Parliament.
The mana of Te Mana Tupua and Ngā Toka Tupua
Te Mana Tupua and Ngā Toka Tupua hold mana. They also have legal weight. People working under some acts must “recognise and provide for” Te Mana Tupua and Ngā Toka Tupua. People working under other acts must “have particular regard to” Te Mana Tupua and Ngā Toka Tupua. Those acts are shown in the diagram.
What else?
Civil Defence decision makers must have regard to Te Mana Tupua and Ngā Toka Tupua when they are developing, approving or changing a civil defence plan.
There is a more general application that means anyone undertaking statutory functions, powers, or duties that relate to Te Waiū, or doing anything in the catchment that affects Te Waiū “may consider Te Mana Tupua and Ngā Toka Tupua as a relevant consideration".