Ngāti Raukawa is a

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

with traditional bases in the

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

, Taupo and Manawatu/

Horowhenua Horowhenua District is a territorial authority district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Horowhenua District Council. Located north of Wellington and Kapiti, it stretches from slightly north of the town of ...

regions of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa.

History

Early history

Ngāti Raukawa recognise Raukawa, son of

Tūrongo Tūrongo was a Māori rangatira (chief) in the Tainui confederation of tribes, based at Rangiātea, near Waikeria, New Zealand. He quarrelled with his brother, Whatihua, and as a result Tainui was split between them, with Tūrongo receiving the so ...

and Māhina-o-rangi, as their eponymous ancestor, who was descended from the settlers of the ''

Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka confederation of New Zealand Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa and Waikato. There are oth ...

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

. One of his descendants was Maniapoto, ancestor of the

Ngāti Maniapoto Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi (tribe) based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the ...

iwi. Ngati Raukawa established their ancestral homeland in the Waikato region. In the mid-17th century, the Ngāti Raukawa ''rangatira'' Whāita, Tama-te-hura, and

Wairangi Wairangi was a Maori people, Maori (chieftain) of the Ngāti Takihiku of the Ngāti Raukawa in the Tainui tribal confederation from the Waikato region, New Zealand and the ancestor of the Ngāti Wairangi . He probably lived in the mid-seventeent ...

conquered the section of the upper

Waikato river The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand, running for through the North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. It th ...

between

Putāruru Putāruru is a small town in the South Waikato District and the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It lies on the western side of the Mamaku Ranges and in the upper basin of the Waihou River. It is on the Oraka Stream 65 kilometre ...

and

Ātiamuri Ātiamuri is a former hydro village in the central North Island of New Zealand. It lies alongside State Highway 1 about 27 km south of Tokoroa and 38 km north of Taupō. It is bordered by the Waikato River and surrounded by pine planta ...

in the Ngāti Raukawa–Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga War. After this war, Wairangi settled the area south of

Whakamaru Whakamaru is a town in the central region of the North Island of New Zealand. The Maori words 'whaka' and 'maru' literally mean to give shelter to, or safeguard. History The Whakamaru supervolcano eruption (dated to 320–340,000 years ago) ...

and his descendants, the Ngāti Wairangi, now share Mōkai

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

with a number of other hapu. Whāita took the section furthest up the river, around Pōhatu-roa and his descendants, the Ngāti Whāita, have their marae at Ōngāroto, on the north bank of the Waikato River, a little west of Ātiamuri. In the early 19th century, significant numbers of Ngāti Raukawa were forced south during the

Musket Wars The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori between 1807 and 1837, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an intertribal arms ra ...

. Led by Te Whatanui and other chiefs, they joined Ngāti Toarangatira in a southwards migration through the North Island, which proceeded in three stages. Land was taken from Rangitikei to Kapiti, where a large number of pā were built and subtribes established. This brought the new settlers into conflicts with established tangata whenua in the southern parts of the North Island. Four of the subtribes, Ngāti Waewae, Ngāti Pikiahu, Ngāti Matakore and Ngāti Rangatahi, are based on the Te Reureu block, between the Waitapu and Rangitawa Streams, at Kakariki, beside the

Rangitīkei River The Rangitīkei River is one of New Zealand's longest rivers, long. Its headwaters are to the southeast of Lake Taupō in the Kaimanawa Ranges. It flows from the Central Plateau south past Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville, Marton, and Bu ...

Modern history

Ngāti Raukawa has undergone great change in the 20th century. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, many Ngāti Raukawa left their traditional lands and migrated to cities. Starting in 1975, a determined effort was made to revitalise traditional language and establishments. Ngāti Raukawa have established a large number of

and other institutions, including Raukawa Marae and Te Wānanga o Raukawa, a centre for higher learning. Administrative organisations include the Raukawa Trust Board and Te Rūnanga o Raukawa.

Media

Raukawa FM

Raukawa FM is the official station of Ngāti Raukawa. It was set up by Te Reo Irirangi o Ngati Raukawa Trust on 23 October 1990. Many of its first hosts were Tokoroa High School students, and most of its staff are still volunteers. It broadcasts on in

Tokoroa Tokoroa ( mi, Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere) is the fifth-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato District. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the M ...

, in

Mangakino Mangakino is a small town on the banks of the Waikato River in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located close to the hydroelectric power station at Lake Maraetai, southeast of Hamilton. The town and its infrastructure are administered as ...

, and across the wider

Waikato region Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, t ...

. The station was co-founded by Emare Rose Nikora and Whiti te-Ra Kaihau. Nikora was a leader of the Māori language revival movement, and was the station's first

Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...

newsreader, manager and board member. She was recognised for her work with a Queen's Service Medal for services to Māori.

Te Upoko O Te Ika

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

pan-tribal Māori radio station Te Upoko O Te Ika has been affiliated to Ngāti Raukawa since 2014. It began part-time broadcasting in 1983 and full-time broadcasting in 1987, making it the longest-running Māori radio station in New Zealand.

Notable people

Hori Ahipene Hori Ahipene is an actor and director in theatre, film and television in New Zealand. He's also an award-winning playwright with the Māori play ''Hide 'n Seek'' co-written with Hone Kouka. He became a well known face in New Zealand for his drama ...

, actor and director *

Tungia Baker Tungia Dorothea Gloria Baker (8 October 1939 – 25 July 2005) was a New Zealand actor, weaver, and administrator. Her notable acting roles included Ngahuia in the 1980s television drama ''Open House'' and Hira in the 1993 film ''The Piano''. ...

, actress *

Georgina Beyer Georgina Beyer (born November 1957) is a New Zealand politician and former Labour Party Member of Parliament. In 1995 she was elected mayor of Carterton, making her the world's first openly transgender mayor. In 2005 she became the world's ...

, world's first transgender mayor and parliamentarian * Nancy Brunning, actress and director * Jolene Douglas, artist *

Eddie Durie Sir Edward Taihakurei Durie (born 18 January 1940) was the first Māori appointed as a judge of a New Zealand court. He is of Rangitāne, Ngāti Kauwhata and Ngāti Raukawa descent; Mason Durie (1889–1971) was his grandfather. Early life ...

, judge * Mason Durie, psychiatrist * Mihi Edwards, memoirist, social worker, teacher and kaumātua *

Billy Guyton Bill Guyton (born 17 March 1990) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He played at halfback for provincial side Tasman. Guyton spent the previous three years playing for North Otago in the Heartland championship, making 29 appearances for the p ...

, rugby union player *

Patricia Grace Patricia Frances Grace (; born 17 August 1937) is a New Zealand Māori writer of novels, short stories, and children's books. She began writing as a young adult, while working as a teacher. Her early short stories were published in magazines ...

, author *

Karl Leonard Karl Rangikawhiti Leonard (born 1964) is a New Zealand carver and weaver of Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa and Ngati Raukawa descent. He was the first man elected to the committee of the national Māori weavers' collective, Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearo ...

, carver and weaver *

Jaimee Lovett Jaimee Lovett (born 5 May 1988, in Whakatane) is a New Zealand canoeist. She represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She competed alongside Caitlin Ryan, Kayla Imrie and Aimee Fisher in the Women's K-4 500 metres event. After ha ...

, canoeist * Haane Manahi, soldier *

Ike Robin Ihakara Te Tuku Rapana (8 November 1886 – 21 June 1968), commonly known as Ike Robin, was a New Zealand sportsman, businessman, orator and member for the Māori Anglican Church. A champion sheep shearer and professional wrestler, he was the f ...

, sportsman, businessman and orator * Te Rangiataahua Kiniwe Royal, tribal leader, soldier and sportsman *

Jacinta Ruru Jacinta Arianna Ruru (born 1974) is a New Zealand academic and the first Māori professor of law. She was born in Australia and is of Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Maniapoto descent. Her mother and both maternal grand parents were Engl ...

, academic * Harata Solomon, teacher and religious leader * Bruce Stewart, playwright * Kingi Te Ahoaho Tahiwi, teacher and interpreter * Pirimi Pererika Tahiwi, teacher and community leader *

Codie Taylor Codie Joshua Dane Taylor (born 31 March 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays as a hooker for Crusaders in Super Rugby, Canterbury in the ITM Cup, and New Zealand internationally. Having grown up in Feilding and Levin before ...

, rugby union player * Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, academic * Hana Te Hemara, Māori activist * Te Whatanui, tribal chief *

Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi (?–1881) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader, missionary and assessor. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Toa iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori societ ...

, tribal leader and chief *

Inia Te Wiata Inia Morehu Tauhia Watene Iarahi Waihurihia Te Wiata (10 June 191526 June 1971) was a New Zealand Māori bass-baritone opera singer, film actor, whakairo (carver) and artist. Early life Inia Te Wiata was born in Ōtaki, New Zealand, into the ...

, singer, actor and carver *

Rima Te Wiata Heather Rima Te Wiata (born 15 March 1963) is a New Zealand singer, comedian and stage, film and television actress. Early life Te Wiata was born in London, the only child of opera singer Inia Te Wiata and actress Beryl Te Wiata. She is of ...

, singer, comedian and actress * Mahinārangi Tocker, singer-songwriter *

Rota Waitoa Rota Waitoa (? – 22 July 1866) was a New Zealand Anglican clergyman, of Māori descent. Waitoa identified with the Ngati Raukawa iwi. He was born in Waitoa, Waikato, New Zealand. Waitoa's ordination as deacon at St Paul's, Auckland, on 2 ...

, Anglican clergyman

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

Raukawa Settlement Trust
South Waikato
Te Wānanga o Raukawa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngati Raukawa