'Land Is Not a Resource, but a Relationship'

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Powerful New Photo Project on New Zealand’s Indigenous People

Tatsiana Chypsanava has been photographing the Tūhoe people living in the Te Urewera rainforest for over 10 years. In 2023, the Pulitzer Center awarded her the Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant to continue this work. In a photo essay and conversation with writer Kennedy Warne for New Zealand Geographic, Chypsanava talked about what drew her to the Tūhoe people and how, as a descendant of the Indigenous Komi of northwestern Russia, she became intimately acquainted with them and their families.

That connection became central to Chypsanava’s work after the New Zealand government's 2014 decision to formally apologize for historical injustices, recognize the Tūhoe people as legal guardians of Te Urewera, and designate Te Urewera itself as a legal person. This removed the forest's long-held status as a national park, a legacy of colonialism.

This decision has allowed for ongoing healing between the Tūhoe people and their rainforest homeland. Now they can take the reins in deciding whether to open the land back up and invite those who have left to consider reconnecting with the land. Her work follows the daily life and beauty of Tūhoe in their homes of Ruatoki Valley and other communities, challenging New Zealanders' common notion of Te Urewera as an uninhabited tourist destination.

In reflecting on her time as a Pulitzer Center grantee, Chypsanava said, “The Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant provided crucial support to deepen this work, allowing me to embed myself in the community and expand my Ruatoki project into a larger exploration of Te Urewera. By spending time in Ruatoki, Ruatāhuna, Maungapōhatu, and Waikaremoana, I witnessed how each community carries forward their reconnection to their common living ancestor—a process rooted in mātauranga (traditional knowledge) and healing.

“For me, this project transcends photography; it’s about accountability. The Tūhoe reminded me that land is not a resource, but a relationship. Their fight for mana motuhake (self-determination) mirrors global Indigenous struggles, and I hope these images and stories inspire others.”

Most recently, Chypsanava won a World Press Photo award for this project, a recognition and testament to the value and importance of long-term photojournalism projects that span years instead of months. In May, she will be honored at the World Press Photo awards in Amsterdam, where her work will be on display until early September.

Chypsanava hopes her photographs will continue illuminating the Tūhoe’s relationship with the land and serve as a reminder that Indigenous people are not of the past, but are part of the present and future.

Best,

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Impact

EQT’s Gas Play—a series illuminating the health impacts of fracking in rural communities in northern Appalachia, by Pulitzer Center grantee Quinn Glabicki—was honored with the 2025 Victor K. McElheny Award for local and regional science journalism.

The multimedia project follows families displaced by fracking's destructive impact. The gas company failed to protect residents while being completely aware of the health effects, despite public claims to the contrary.

Read the full investigation. 

Photo of the Week

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"We spent a year reporting this story—from its hopeful grand opening to board meetings to the slow days when very few customers came in the store and produce grew old on the shelves. It became clear that the store was struggling, despite all the efforts of the very committed board and community members.

"Over the course of reporting, we also witnessed the benefit of a community store beyond providing fresh groceries. The store often hosted events in the parking lot and allowed a local food bank to set up distribution there as well. It is unclear what will happen to Rise and rural communities like Cairo, Illinois, without the enforcement of laws designed to protect them."

—Julia Rendleman

This message first appeared in the April 18, 2025, edition of the Pulitzer Center's weekly newsletter. Subscribe today.

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