Awhi: to care for nurture, embrace and cherish
The Awhi way is about being connected to the land, and all the living creatures on it. We are all part of the same family – we give to the land, and it gives back to us
Awhi has over 9000 shareholders, family members of the Whanganui 'iwi' (tribe). Our ancestors have lived in this place for at least 25 generations
Our mountain is Mount Ruapehu, an active volcano in the heart of the North Island. We see Ruapehu not just as a mountain but as our ancestor; our grandfather, Koro.
For us, everything in nature is a ‘taonga’, or treasure, with its own ‘mauri’, or life force. Our ‘mana’ (prestige or honour) is based on how well we manage our taonga and preserve its mauri
Our river is the Whanganui River, which – in a world first – was given the legal rights of a person by the New Zealand Government in 2017.
As a tribe, we like to say 'Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au' which in English translates to: 'I am the river, the river is me.'
Our deep kinship with the natural world is expressed through ‘kaitiakitanga’ – the way we manage the environment, protecting it for future generations
When you try our honey, beef, lamb, milk or wool, you become part of the rich legacy of Awhi. You become connected to this special place, and connected to us
Explore your world through the Māori language
Explore your world through the Māori language
A mobile app called Kupu lets you instantly learn the Māori words for anything around you. Take a picture through the app and Kupu instantly identifies the object and provides a translation in Māori.
Kia ora.
Take a photo, learn a language.