Tamati Kruger, Tūhoe negotiator and chairman of the board that oversees Te Urewera, discusses the Tūhoe perspective on responsibilities over rights. They explain the global push for climate action, the significance of Te Urewera's legal personhood, and the importance of people protecting the land and each other.
The Tuhui tribe views their relationship with the land as one of responsibilities and obligations, rather than asserting rights or ownership over Te Uruwaat.
The Te Uruwaat act highlights the importance of collective care, reconnection, and responsibility to address the greed and deficit thinking prevalent in society.
Deep dives
Reconnecting with Homeland and Identity
The Te Uruwaat act recognized a rainforest in New Zealand as a legal entity, aiming to rectify the historical injustices suffered by the Tuhui tribe who were forcefully dispossessed of their land during colonization. For the Tuhui, Te Uruwaat represents their ancestor, and the act seeks to restore their sense of belonging, identity, and connection to the land. The settlement negotiated with the New Zealand government aimed to return the entire homeland of the Tuhui tribe, which had been confiscated for over a century, in a process that is still ongoing for the tribe. Rather than focusing on rights, the Tuhui view their relationship with the land as one of responsibilities and obligations, recognizing their place in nature and their duty to live in harmony with the land.
The Journey of Healing and Restoration
The journey of reconnecting with Te Uruwaat and restoring the Tuhui tribe's culture and sense of belonging is described as a sincere form of healing and connection. Tamate Kruger, the chair of Toyota Wear and the Tuhui Tribal Authority, explains that they expected the process to take at least two generations, around 40 years, to witness the signs of return and restoration. As indigenous people, the process involves exploring the depth of hurt and loss caused by colonization and addressing what can be repatriated and created. The journey focuses on reconciling with the damage and shaping the future based on a sense of responsibility to themselves and nature, rather than asserting rights or ownership over Te Uruwaat.
Climate Change and Human Responsibility
The Te Uruwaat act, while disrupting the concept of property rights and ownership, highlights the need to address humanity's challenge in the face of climate change. The CEO of the Tuhui Tribal Authority, Kirsty Luke, emphasizes the importance of collective care, reconnection, and responsibility to address the greed and deficit thinking prevalent in society. Instead of worrying for the land, the focus is on recognizing that through harmful practices and behaviors, humans have lost the right to live in harmony with nature. The solution lies in fostering a sense of gratitude, appreciation, and changing lifestyles, values, and livelihoods to become better humans for the planet's benefit.
When Tūhoe negotiated legal personhood for their homeland Te Urewera, the global rights of nature community cheered. But in this conversation about how the case connects to rights of nature overall and to the global push for climate action, Tamati Kruger, Tūhoe negotiator and chairman of the board that now oversees Te Urewera, explains that for Tūhoe it's about responsibilities—of people to protect the land and each other—not rights.
