Ngāti Rongomaiwahine or Rongomaiwahine 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 ...
'' (tribe) traditionally centred in the
Māhia Peninsula
Māhia Peninsula (Maori: or ) is located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, in the Hawke's Bay region, between the towns of Wairoa and Gisborne.
Rocket Lab has set up its Launch Complex 1 close to Ahuriri Point at the southe ...
on the
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of New Zealand.
In the
2006 census
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
, 4,254 people identified as Rongomaiwahine;
by the
2013 census, this has increased to 4,473 people.
It is closely connected to the
Ngāti Kahungunu
Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions.
The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative di ...
iwi.
The people of Rongomaiwahine are descended from a common ancestor, Rongomaiwahine. She was descended from Ruawharo, the ''
tohunga
In the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, a tohunga (tōhuka in Southern Māori dialect) is an expert practitioner of any skill or art, either religious or otherwise. Tohunga include expert priests, healers, navigators, carvers, builders, teache ...
'' (navigator) of the
Tākitimu
''Tākitimu'' was a ''waka'' (canoe) with ''whakapapa'' throughout the Pacific particularly with Samoa, the Cook Islands, and New Zealand in ancient times. In several Māori traditions, the ''Tākitimu'' was one of the great Māori migration ...
''
waka
Waka may refer to:
Culture and language
* Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand
** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe
** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe
** Waka taua, a Māori w ...
'' (Māori migration canoe), and Popoto, the commander of the ''
Kurahaupō
''Kurahaupō'' was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand in Māori tradition.
In Taranaki tribal tradition, ''Kurahaupō'' is known as ''Te Waka Pakaru ki te moana'' or 'The Can ...
'' waka.
In
Māori tradition, Rongomaiwahine was known to have had two husbands: Tamatakutai and Kahungunu. With Tamatakutai, she bore two daughters, Rapuaiterangi and Hinerauiri. With Kahungunu (well known as the eponymous ancestor of
Ngāti Kahungunu
Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions.
The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative di ...
) she bore five children: Kahukuranui, Rongomaipapa, Tamateakota, Mahakinui and Tauheikuri.
Historically, Rongomaiwahine have operated successful whaling stations. Today, fishing remains an important industry, along with the operation of sheep and cattle stations. Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust (RIT) is the administrative body of the iwi.
Marae and wharenui
Peninsula marae
Te Atihau was the tribe's traditional ''
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 ...
'' (meeting ground).
The ground is now part of
farming station of
designated Māori freehold land which
Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is a public American aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider, with a New Zealand subsidiary. The company operates lightweight Electron orbital rockets, which provide dedicated launches for small satellites. Rocket Lab also ...
uses to launch satellites.
The iwi is also associated with three other ''marae'' and ''
wharenui
A wharenui (; literally "large house") is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a ''marae''. Wharenui are usually called meeting houses in New Zealand English, or simply called ''whare'' ( ...
'' (meeting houses) on the peninsula:
* Kaiuku (Oku-ra-renga) marae and Kiwi wharenui, Mahia East Coast Road
* Tuahuru marae and Hine te Rongo wharenui, Mahia East Coast Road
*Te Apaapa-a-Rangi Marae, Nukutaurua Road
Inland marae
The iwi is associated with four ''marae'' and ''wharenui'' north of the peninsula:
* Māhanga (Rongomaiwahine) marae and Te Poho o Rongomaiwahine wharenui on Mahanga Road
* Ruawharo marae and wharenui on Opoutama Road
* Tāne-nui-a-Rangi marae and wharenui on State Highway 2 in
Nūhaka
Nūhaka is a small settlement in the northern Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand's eastern North Island, lying on New Zealand State Highway 2, State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Gisborne, New Zealand, Gisborne. The road to Mahia turns off the highw ...
* Te Rākatō marae on Kaiwaitau Road
See also
*
List of Māori iwi
This is a list of iwi (New Zealand Māori tribes). List of iwi
This list includes groups recognised as iwi (tribes) in certain contexts. Many are also hapū (sub-tribes) of larger iwi.
Moriori are included on this list. Although they are distinc ...
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngati Rongomaiwahine
Iwi and hapū
Māhia Peninsula