Maori iwi

Maori iwi
Name	Maori iwi
Native name	Iwi Māori
Region	New Zealand (Aotearoa)
Population	Various
Language	Māori (Te Reo Māori)
Related	Māori iwi hapū waka

Maori iwi.

Iwi are the principal kinship-based tribes of the indigenous people of New Zealand (Aotearoa), central to identity in Te Ao Māori and linked to ancestral waka traditions; iwi affiliation influences relations with institutions such as Te Puni Kōkiri, Waitangi Tribunal, and Ngāi Tahu Settlement processes and intersects with events like the Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the Land March (1975). Iwi communities maintain continuity through connections to ancestral figures like Kupe, Toi, and Tūmatauenga lineages and engage with modern entities including Hīkoi, Iwi Chairs Forum, and restorative mechanisms exemplified by Ngāti Porou negotiations.

Origins and tribal structure

Traditional origins emphasize descent from voyaging waka such as Aotea, Tainui, Tokomaru, Mātaatua, and Te Arawa, whose ancestral captains—figures like Hoturoa, Whakaotirangi, and Tamatekapua—are foundational to iwi genealogies. Iwi are composed of multiple hapū (subtribes) and whānau (extended families) organized around marae such as Te Papaiouru Marae, Horouta Marae, and Rongowhakaata Marae, and linked to tūpuna (ancestors) commemorated in whakapapa recorded by tohunga, kaumātua, and historians like Sir Apirana Ngata and Dr Ranginui Walker. Territorial claims and mana derive from intermarriage, conquest, and customary usage recognized in negotiations involving entities like the Native Land Court and ministers such as William Hobson.

History and migrations

Iwi narratives recount initial voyages from Hawaiki followed by regional settlement patterns across islands including Te Ika-a-Māui (North Island), Te Waipounamu (South Island), and island groups like Chatham Islands (Rekohu) associated with iwi such as Ngāti Mutunga and Moriori interactions. Inter-iwi conflicts and alliances feature events like the Musket Wars, campaigns led by rangatira including Hongi Hika and Te Rauparaha, and later accommodation during colonization involving treaties and statutes such as the Treaty of Waitangi and the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863. The colonial period saw land alienation through instruments like the Native Land Court and settler incursions exemplified by settlements in Wellington and Auckland, provoking movements including the Kingitanga and activism by leaders such as Tāwhiao and Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki.

Social organisation and leadership

Iwi leadership historically centered on rangatira and ariki like Wiremu Tamihana and contemporary figures who participate in forums such as the Iwi Chairs Forum and corporate structures like Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Social roles include tohunga, kaumātua, and kaitautoko who operate within marae governance alongside entities such as Te Māngai Pāho and iwi radio stations like Te Reo Irirangi O Te Hiku o Te Ika. Leadership interacts with Crown-appointed processes through offices such as the Office of Treaty Settlements and engages in litigation before the Waitangi Tribunal and courts including the High Court of New Zealand.

Territory and rohe

Iwi rohe are defined by ancestral boundaries encompassing places like Rotorua, Taranaki, Hauraki Gulf, Wellington Harbour, and Southland, with land and water rights tied to landmarks such as Cape Reinga, Māhia Peninsula, and Lake Taupō. Territorial interests involve resource management under statutes such as the Resource Management Act 1991 and settlements addressing claims over fisheries via agreements with bodies like Te Ohu Kaimoana and asset transfers negotiated in settlements such as the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.

Culture, language, and traditions

Iwi cultural life centers on practices including kapa haka, karakia, tangihanga, and weaving traditions like raranga and tukutuku upheld by practitioners and institutions such as Toi Māori Aotearoa, Te Papa Tongarewa, and universities like University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington which support te reo revitalization through programmes linked to organisations like Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and initiatives including Māori Language Week. Oral histories, waiata, and haka composed by composers like Sir Apirana Ngata and performed at venues such as Te Matatini affirm iwi identity alongside contemporary expressions in film by directors like Merata Mita and literature by writers such as Witi Ihimaera and Hone Tuwhare.

Treaty of Waitangi and modern legal status

The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) remains central to legal and political claims pursued through mechanisms like the Waitangi Tribunal and settlement processes administered by the Office of Treaty Settlements resulting in deeds of settlement with iwi including Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Awa, and Tūhoe. Judicial interpretations in cases before the Court of Appeal of New Zealand and engagements with legislation such as the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 shape modern rights over natural resources adjudicated with participation from iwi organisations and Crown agencies such as Te Puni Kōkiri.

Contemporary issues and governance

Contemporary iwi governance spans commercial entities, post-settlement governance entities like Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa, environmental co-management with regional councils such as Environment Canterbury, and advocacy through groups like Māori Party and iwi collectives engaging in politics during elections in centres including Rotorua and Otago. Issues include health disparities addressed by providers like Te Tumu Whakarae and education initiatives in collaboration with institutions such as Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, treaty-based negotiations over freshwater with national bodies like Ministry for the Environment, and cultural resurgence involving language immersion schools (kura kaupapa) and media platforms including Māori Television.

Category:Ethnic groups in New Zealand