Ngāti Rangitihi

Ngāti Rangitihi
Iwi	Ngāti Rangitihi
Waka	Mataatua
Rohe	Bay of Plenty
Moana	Pacific Ocean
Hapū	Ngāti Mahi, Ngāti Tionga, Ngāti Te Rangi, Ngāti Rangiwaho
Marae	Te Papaiouru, Rangitihi Marae

Ngāti Rangitihi is an iwi of the Bay of Plenty region of Aotearoa New Zealand connected by descent from Rangitihi of the Mataatua waka and linked to surrounding iwi through whakapapa, customary rights, and historic relationships. The iwi participates in regional settlement processes, cultural revitalization, and economic development alongside neighbouring iwi and hapū. It has maintained marae-based structures and tribal organisations that engage with national institutions and treaties.

Origins and Ancestry

Ngāti Rangitihi trace descent from Rangitihi of the Mataatua waka and claim kinship links across the Bay of Plenty to ancestral figures such as :Category:Ngāti Rangitihi and regional tupuna connected with Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Whakaue, and Tūhourangi. Their whakapapa intersects with lineages documented in accounts involving Rangitihi, Hoturoa, Pawa, Toroa, Whakaotirangi, and other Mataatua voyagers recorded in oral history and tribal narratives. These connections extend through alliances and marriages involving chiefs associated with sites like Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatāne, Maketu, and Kawerau.

Hapū and Marae

Key hapū associated with Ngāti Rangitihi include Ngāti Mahi, Ngāti Tionga, Ngāti Te Rangi, and Ngāti Rangiwaho, each affiliated with marae such as Rangitihi Marae, Te Papaiouru Marae, and local meeting houses used for tangihanga involving families from Te Whaiti, Te Teko, Murupara, Paengaroa, and Matatā. Marae affiliations connect Ngāti Rangitihi to regional networks including Ngāti Awa Whakaeke, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rangitihi, Katikati Community Centre, and institutions like Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology that support cultural and educational programmes.

History and Engagements

Ngāti Rangitihi history is woven into events and processes such as early contact encounters with James Cook-era expeditions, interactions during the period of the New Zealand Wars, and regional disputes influenced by land purchases linked to entities like the Crown and settler companies operating in Rotorua District and Tauranga Harbour. The iwi participated in negotiations and hui with bodies including Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, Waitangi Tribunal, Te Pāti Māori, Te Arawhiti, and Office of Treaty Settlements during 19th and 20th century redress processes. Ngāti Rangitihi members engaged in labour movements across Bay of Plenty Ports, contributed to wartime efforts involving New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and were involved in post-war land and resource claims adjudicated through forums such as High Court of New Zealand and settlement legislation like the Ngāti Awa Claims Settlement Act 2005.

Culture, Language, and Traditions

Ngāti Rangitihi maintain cultural practice through kapa haka groups performing waiata and haka at venues including Te Matatini, arts exchanges with Spark Arena, and collaborations with creative institutions such as Toi Māori Aotearoa and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The iwi supports te reo Māori revitalisation through programmes at Kura Kaupapa Māori, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, and community language initiatives linked to networks like Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. Cultural custodians steward taonga related to carving and whakairo exhibited in galleries like Rotorua Museum, and maintain customary practices such as tangihanga, tohunga rites, and rongoā preserved in partnerships with Ngā Manu Trust and regional health providers like Te Whatu Ora Bay of Plenty.

Governance and Contemporary Leadership

Contemporary governance involves representative bodies such as Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rangitihi and trustees who engage with statutory agencies including Te Puni Kōkiri, Ministry for Primary Industries, Environment Court of New Zealand, and regional councils like Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Rotorua Lakes Council. Leadership profiles intersect with iwi representatives who appear before panels such as Waitangi Tribunal hearings and liaise with political organisations including Labour Party (New Zealand), National Party (New Zealand), and Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand on local issues. The iwi interacts with national frameworks such as the Resource Management Act 1991 through submissions to bodies like Environment Bay of Plenty and participates in partnership arrangements with Crown agencies represented by Crown Forestry Rental Trust.

Land, Resources, and Economic Development

Ngāti Rangitihi hold interests in land and marine resources across areas of Tauranga Harbour, Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotorua, Te Awa o Ngatoroirangi, and coastal fisheries managed by entities like Te Ohu Kaimoana and Ministry for Primary Industries. Economic ventures include forestry and horticulture collaborations with companies such as Fletcher Challenge, joint ventures with regional trusts like Bay of Plenty Māori Trust Board, tourism operations linked to Rotorua attractions, and participation in infrastructure projects involving NZ Transport Agency and local port authorities at Port of Tauranga. The iwi engages in investment and development through vehicles modelled on examples like Ngāti Porou Holdings, Tainui Group Holdings, and regional economic development agencies such as Eastern Bay of Plenty Economic Development Agency.

Notable People and Contributions

Individuals associated with Ngāti Rangitihi have contributed across public, cultural, and sporting spheres alongside figures from neighbouring iwi such as leaders who have engaged with institutions like Waitangi Tribunal, New Zealand Parliament, Te Oranga Hinengaro, and sporting organisations including New Zealand Rugby and NZ Cricket. Members have performed at Te Matatini, published work with Auckland University Press, collaborated with artists represented by Toi Māori Aotearoa, and served in community roles within Te Puni Kōkiri initiatives and local government bodies such as Tauranga City Council.

Category:Iwi