Te Awa Tupua: peace, justice and sustainability through Indigenous tourism

Abstract

Te Awa Tupua is an ancestor of the M aori people of Whanganui, and is also the Whanganui River, who in 2017 was formally recognised as a person. While legally conferring personhood upon an element of nature is relatively novel, it recognises a fundamental principle of indigeneity, that all things-human and nonhuman-are related. We explore intersections of peace, justice, and sustainability through Indigenous tourism in case studies of three M aori tourism enterprises on Te Awa Tupua (the Whanganui River). Our paper spotlights three findings. First, that treaty settlements elevate the status of M aori knowledge and contain elements of peace-making and economy-making as decolonising projects of self-determined development. Second, while indigeneity is foundational, we found that syncretism is evident in the sustainability of M aori tourism enterprises. Third, we uncovered a socioecological dissonance in attitudes towards commercial growth, with M aori tourism enterprises opting for slower and lower growth in favour of environmental and community wellbeing. We propose a model of Indigenous tourism called kaupapa t apoi. We conclude by suggesting that reconciling differences in viewpoints on sustainability and growth between M aori and non-M aori tourism enterprises will require involvement of several institutional actors, starting with Te Awa Tupua.

Indigenous environmental defenders in Aotearoa New Zealand: Ihumātao and Ōroua River

“…Whenua resilience theory states that when the five principles are accepted and deployed, and the two inhibiting factors are addressed, then environmental defence, which we term kaipupuri taiao, and environmental development, which we term kaitupu taiao, are likely to be concomitant. This is because a Māori worldview embraces ecological and sociological wellbeing as mutually inclusive (Mika & Scheyvens, 2021). The ancestral lands of Ihumātao and the ancestral waters of Ōroua River are not just a place upon which to stand or a place from which to drink, they are part of an extended family, a kin-group that connects humanity with the cosmos in a perpetual relationship of interdependency.…”

“…These two principles—mana and kaitiakitanga—relate to environmental defence and development of Māori land. They are paradigmatic elements increasingly employed in environmental decision-making and sustainable development (Harmsworth & Awatere, 2013; Mika & Scheyvens, 2021; Simmonds et al, 2016).…”

Socialising tourism after COVID-19: reclaiming tourism as a social force?

“…When this thinking is allowed to guide tourism activities and economic engagement, new possibilities are created that disrupt and shift the potential of tourism and transform it in fundamental ways. The work by Mika and Scheyvens (2022) indicates the potential of socialising tourism for greater social and ecological justice, in this case by giving precedence to M aori values and culture in tourism business rather than socialising M aori operators to pursue only conventional growth and profit motives in their engagement with tourism.…”

“…This Indigenous approach is also explored through a brief case study that brings M aori tourism perspectives from Aotearoa/New Zealand to the forefront. This is based on the recent work of Mika and Scheyvens (2022) who reported on three M aori tourism enterprises operating along the Te Awa Tupua/Whanganui River. The focus of this work is how Indigenous-led tourism better fosters peace, justice and sustainability.…”

Sunscreen pollution and tourism governance: Science and innovation are necessary for biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism

“…Governance policies such as this can also inspire the cosmetic and fashion industries to innovate and embrace product formulations that are shown to be ecologically safer. Safer products and a precautionary approach to governance, when combined with ecologically and culturally cognizant branding and public education, may contribute to an authentic experience that effectively promotes both environmentally sustainable tourism and ecological conservation (Ahmad et al, 2018; Mika & Scheyvens, 2021).…”