Ngāti Ruanui is a Māori

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 ...

traditionally based in the

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

region 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 country ...

. In the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the traditional areas of the iwi.

History

Early history

Ruanui is acknowledged as the eponymous ancestor of the iwi. He was the son of Uenuku-puanake and Tāneroroa. Uenuku came from 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 ...

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 ...

(although this is contested among Matauranga Maori historians), while Tāneroroa was the daughter of Turi, who came to New Zealand on the '' Aotea'' canoe. Turi originally landed in

Aotea Harbour Aotea Harbour ( mi, Aotea Moana) is a settlement and smallest of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located between Raglan Harbour to the north and Kawhia Harbour to the ...

, but eventually settled along the Pātea River. Over time, Ruanui’s descendants spread across south Taranaki.

Musket Wars

Ngāti Ruanui was heavily involved in tribal wars during the 19th century. In 1816, the iwi was invaded from the north by Nga Puhi warriors carrying

muskets A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually di ...

. Over the next few decades, Ngati Ruanui would come under attack by

Ngāti Toa Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Toarangatira or Ngāti Toa Rangatira, is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) based in the southern North Island and in the northern South Island of New Zealand. Its ''rohe'' (tribal area) extends from Whanganui in the north, Palmerston ...

Ngāti Whātua Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, Te ...

and the Waikato tribes. Ngāti Ruanui had no defence against the invaders armed with muskets, and many Ngāti Ruanui people were captured as slaves. Others were simply displaced by continuing warfare.

Early social development

Even amidst tribal warfare, Ngāti Ruanui managed to build a successful society. Agriculture provided a stable economy. Ngāti Ruanui workers were employed as labourers in

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. Th ...

. Education and Christianity were eagerly embraced.

New Zealand Wars

Ngāti Ruanui were wary of European settlers and their desire for more land. In 1860, when

Te Āti Awa Te Āti Awa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Taranaki and Wellington regions of New Zealand. Approximately 17,000 people registered their affiliation to Te Āti Awa in 2001, with around 10,000 in Taranaki, 2,000 in Wellington and aro ...

engaged in battle with the British Crown, Ngāti Ruanui sent fighters to support them. At least 10 members of Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāruahine died during the

First Taranaki War The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori people, Māori and the New Zealand government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North ...

, mostly during the defense of Waireka on 28 March 1860, including Te Rei Hanataua, chief of Tangahoe hapū. In retaliation, in 1865 and 1866 Crown troops invaded south Taranaki, destroying fortifications and villages. In 1868, notable resistance was provided by the tribal leader

Tītokowaru Riwha Tītokowaru (c. 1823–1888) was a Māori leader in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. Early life Riwha was a subtribal leader (having succeeded his father "Tītokowaru") of the Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāruahine iwi in South Taranaki. A ...

against Crown troops approaching from the south. Amongst

settlers the iwi was known as 'Ngati Ruin-Ruin Us' for the effectiveness of their attacks. But within a few years, Ngāti Ruanui had lost most of its land, displacing more Māori from their traditional lands.

Ngāti Ruanui today

Deed of Settlement

In 1996, the

Waitangi Tribunal The Waitangi Tribunal (Māori: ''Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi'') is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. It is charged with investigating and making recommendations on c ...

determined that the Crown had acted unfairly in its conflict with Ngāti Ruanui. A settlement between the New Zealand Government and Ngāti Ruanui was reached in 2001, which was passed into law in 2003. In summary: *The New Zealand Government issued a formal apology to Ngāti Ruanui for the actions of Crown troops during the Taranaki Wars, and for subsequent land confiscation *The Government acknowledged cultural association of Ngāti Ruanui with geographical areas in Taranaki, and will consult with the iwi regarding relevant uses within designated areas *Four areas of significance to Ngāti Ruanui, totalling approximately 10 hectares, were returned to the iwi.

Administration

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui is the governing body of the iwi. The

Rūnanga In Tikanga Māori (Māori culture or practice), a (runaka in Southern Māori dialect) is a tribal council, assembly, board or boardroom. The term can also be a verb meaning "to discuss in an assembly". An iwi (tribe) can have one governing rūna ...

manages the assets of the iwi, and represents the iwi in political consultations with the New Zealand Government.

Radio station

Te Korimako O Taranaki is the radio station of Ngati Ruanui and other

Taranaki region Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dis ...

iwi, including Ngati Tama, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Maru,

, Ngati Mutunga, Ngāruahine, Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi. It started at the Bell Block campus of Taranaki Polytechnic in 1992, and moved to the Spotswood campus in 1993. It is available on across Taranaki.

Notable people

* Te Manihera Poutama ( -1847) * Te Rei Hanataua ( -1860) * Ngawaka Taurua ( -1888) * Riwha Tītokowaru (1823-1888) * Hone Pihama ( -1890) * Wiremu Hukunui Manaia ( -1892) * Sophia Hinerangi (1834-1911) * Tamati Hone Oraukawa (fl. 1848–1869) * Darcy Nicholas (1945- ) * Dalvanius Prime (1948-2002) * Claudette Hauiti (1961- ) * Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (1966/1967- )

References

External links

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngati Ruanui Taranaki