In New Zealand/Aotearoa, indigenous Maori tradition holds that every mountain, forest and river is sacred, and that many were initially guarded over by the gods themselves. One legend tells us that the Whanganui River, the country’s longest navigable waterway, was formed by the tears of the grief-stricken mountain god Taranaki, as he fled to the coast after losing the battle for his love, Pihanga. The river is identified as a source of great physical and spiritual sustenance for the people who live alongside it.
For more than a century, local Iwi (Maori tribal groups) have been fighting for the power to make decisions about the Whanganui River. Petitions, court cases and subsequent appeals were launched to gain recognition that Iwi never willingly relinquished control of the river.
