Te Tau Ihu iwi

Te Tau Ihu iwi
Name	Te Tau Ihu iwi
Rohe	South Island, Tasman District, Nelson, New Zealand, Marlborough Region
Waka	Tainui, Mātaatua, Aotea, Tokomaru, Kurahaupō

Te Tau Ihu iwi are the Māori tribal groups whose traditional territories occupy the northern part of New Zealand’s South Island, encompassing areas around Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, Golden Bay / Mohua, Nelson, Marlborough Sounds, and Wairau Plains. The iwi trace ancestral links to multiple waka arrival traditions and maintain contemporary presence in settlements such as Motueka, Riwaka, Blenheim, Picton, and Mapua, engaging with Crown institutions, New Zealand Māori Council, and regional councils such as Tasman District Council and Marlborough District Council.

Overview and Geography

The rohe spans coastal and inland environments including D'Urville Island, Moutere, Wharariki Beach, Rangitoto Islands (Tasman), and the headwaters of the Waimea River and Wairau River, with customary use of resources in places like Farewell Spit, Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui, and Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere. Settlement patterns historically linked to features such as Matiu / Somes Island and trade routes via Cook Strait, with interactions recorded at sites like Ship Cove / Ketu and Cape Jackson.

History and Origins

Ancestral narratives tie Te Tau Ihu groups to waka such as Kurahaupō, Tainui, Aotea, Tokomaru, and Mātaatua and to ancestors noted in oral traditions including Kupe, Toi, Tūhaitara, and Kahungunu lineage intersections. Contact-era events involve encounters with explorers like James Cook, with consequential episodes such as the Wairau Affray and land disputes culminating in engagements with figures like Governor William Hobson and Governor George Grey. 19th-century dynamics include land transactions, missionary activity by Samuel Marsden-era networks, and later legal processes under statutes such as the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863 and the Treaty of Waitangi claims addressed by the Waitangi Tribunal.

Iwi and Hapū Composition

The region is home to iwi and hapū including Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Tama (South Island)', Te Āti Awa (Taranaki)', Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, and related kin groups who descend from intermarriage among migration canoe lines and inland peoples like Ngāi Tahu connectors; their hapū include lineages with links to leaders such as Tāwhiao-era chiefs and later rangatira recorded in colonial correspondence. Alliances and treaty negotiations often reference collective entities like Nelson Māori Trust Board and claimant groups registered with the Office of Treaty Settlements.

Culture, Language and Traditions

Cultural life centers on marae such as those in Wairau, Rāpaki, and Whakatū, with customary practices including pōwhiri and tikanga maintained alongside revitalization of te reo Māori through initiatives linked to institutions such as Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and immersion programmes modeled on Kōhanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori. Artistic traditions include waka building connected to crafts preserved in collections at institutions like Te Papa Tongarewa and performances shared with festivals at venues including Nelson Arts Festival and marae in Picton. Oral histories reference ancestral landmarks like Tapuae-o-Uenuku and rites associated with fisheries at Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere and shellfish beds around Golden Bay / Mohua.

Governance and Treaty Settlements

Contemporary governance includes rūnanga and trust entities such as claimant organizations that negotiated settlements with the Crown through processes overseen by the Waitangi Tribunal and executed via the Office of Treaty Settlements with settlements often legislated in Acts of Parliament. Settlement deeds have involved redress for historical grievances linked to events like the Wairau Affray and land loss during the colonial period, resulting in co-management arrangements with agencies such as Department of Conservation over sites including Abel Tasman National Park and statutory acknowledgements with regional councils like Marlborough District Council and Tasman District Council.

Economy and Social Development

Economic activity integrates customary resource management with commercial enterprises in aquaculture in Cloudy Bay, viticulture in Blenheim, forestry operations near Golden Downs, and tourism in places such as Queen Charlotte Track and Abel Tasman National Park. Social development priorities focus on health and education partnerships with institutions like Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, tertiary providers including University of Otago outreach programmes and workforce initiatives connected to regional infrastructure projects such as port facilities at Picton and transport links via State Highway 6. Community programmes address housing and wellbeing through collaborations with Ministry of Social Development-aligned services and iwi-led providers participating in regional economic development plans coordinated with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and local chambers such as the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce.

Category:Māori iwi