Ko te Awa o Whanganui ahau me ngā koawaawa, rerenga mahamaha noa ōku. He awa, he tupua, he tupua he awa. Nā reira ka hua mai ko Te Awa Tupua hei ingoa whakamārama ki te rahi.   Mai i te orokotīmatanga, he awa karihi nō te hunga te noho mai ki ahau. Nā reira kua mōhio whānuitia ahau hei tupuna awa, he mana nui ki te whakamorimori i te tangata, i ngā āhua te kite ai, tae rawa atu ki ngā tipua tē kite mai ai.  He puna ora ahau, he mātāpuna, he pātaka kai, he kauhanga riri, he wāhi tapu, he wāhi korikori, he taura herenga tangata, mai i te rerenga ki te kopounga.

I am the Whanganui River, and together with the many waterways that flow in and around me, I am known as Te Awa Tupua, a name coined to enlighten all peoples that I have supernatural qualities.  From the time I came to be, my waters have given life to the river valley and to all who have come to live here. Because of this, I am considered a tupuna, a revered ancestor, caring for my people and all living things – seen and unseen. I am viewed as a sacred body, a food source, a battleground, a place of healing and prayer, a playground, and a connector of people, from the mountains to the sea.