World Press Photo: Featured Project: “Te Urewera – The Living Ancestor of Tūhoe People”
This remarkable long-term documentary project explores the life, culture, and resurgence of the Ngāi Tūhoe people in New Zealand’s Te Urewera region. Capturing everyday moments—like apprentices learning farming skills at Tataiwhetu Trust—Chypsanava’s work offers a poignant counter-narrative to media stereotypes, and reflects deep Indigenous resilience.
© Tatsiana Chypsanava, Pulitzer Center, New Zealand Geographic
Carol Teepa sits in her kitchen with her youngest grandchild, Mia, and her son, Wanea, one of more than 20 children she adopted according to Māori custom, to strengthen traditions and family ties. Ruatoki, New Zealand, 2 September 2017.
Photographer: Tatsiana Chypsanava (Long-Term Projects, Asia-Pacific & Oceania Region, World Press Photo Contest 2025)
A jury praised the series as “a powerful, detailed look at the Ngāi Tūhoe people’s fight for the return of their ancestral lands and Indigenous rights.”
Story Highlights
Focuses on the Tūhoe’s enduring bond with their ancestral land, legally granted “personhood” in 2014, allowing them to govern it according to cultural principles like mauri (life essence) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
Centers on the Tataiwhetu Trust—an organic dairy farm revived by the Teepa family—as a symbol of cultural revitalization and environmental stewardship, encapsulated in the Māori motto: “Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te tangata” (“When the land is in good health, so too are the people”).
About the Photographer
Tatsiana Chypsanava, based in Aotearoa New Zealand, was born in Belarus and is of Komi Indigenous descent. Her work focuses on Indigenous rights, migration, and environmental issues. She’s a grantee of the Pulitzer Center, Wellcome Trust, and a member of Diversify Photo and Women Photograph.
Behind the Lens
Inspired by media depictions of the Tūhoe as threats—especially following the controversial 2007 police raids—Chypsanava began this project in 2014. Invited by the Teepa family into their lives in Ruatoki, she documented their daily connection to land, culture, and community over a decade.
Why It Matters
This body of work transcends mere documentation—it’s an expression of empathy and solidarity. Chypsanava’s personal background as an Indigenous descendant helped foster trust with the Tūhoe community. Her images celebrate cultural continuity, autonomy, and the importance of Indigenous narratives in shaping our understanding of land, identity, and resilience.