Tupuna Awa: People and Politics of the Waikato River

Synopsis

Tupuna Awa Looks At The People And Politics Of The Waikato River. For Iwi And Hapū Of The Lands That Border Its 425-kilometre Length, The Waikato River Is An Ancestor, A Taonga And A Source Of Mauri, Lying At The Heart Of Identity And Chiefly Power. It Is Also Subject To Governing Oversight By The Crown And Intersected By Hydro-stations Managed By State-owned Power Companies: A Situation Rife With Complexity And Subject To Shifting And Subtle Power Dynamics. Marama Muru-lanning Explains How Māori Of The Region, The Crown And Mighty River Power Have Talked About The Ownership, Guardianship And Stakeholders Of The River. By Examining The Debates Over Water In One New Zealand River, Over A Single Recent Period, Muru-lanning Provides A Powerful Lens Through Which To View Modern Iwi Politics, Debates Over Water Ownership, And Contests For Power--publisher Information. Introduction Captive Waters -- One. The Two-headed Taniwha: Waikato River Co-governance -- Two. Belonging To The River -- Three. Mapping River Culture -- Four. Different Understandings Of 'owning' The Waikato River -- Five. Claiming Property And Rights Through Māori Descent And Group Identities -- Six. Stakeholders, Guardians And Co-governors: Framing The Subjects Of Power -- Seven. Rethinking Boundaries: From River Ancestor To Ancestral River -- Conclusion Uncharted Waters. Marama Muru-lanning. Includes Bibliographical References.