The Whakakitenga, formerly known as the Kauhanganui, is a Māori

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

established by King

Tāwhiao Tāwhiao (Tūkāroto Matutaera Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Tāwhiao; c. 1822 – 26 August 1894) was leader of the Waikato tribes, the second Māori King, and a religious figure. He was a member of the Ngati Mahuta (Hapū) of Waikato. Biography T ...

of the Kīngitanga in 1889 or 1890. Members of Te Whakakitenga are elected for three year terms, with each

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 ...

electing two members.

Background

Te Kauhanganui was originally established at

Maungakawa Maungakawa is located in the Waipa District, in the present day Te Miro settlement, northeast of the town of Cambridge, New Zealand. It was once the meeting place of the Kauhanganui, the parliament of the Kīngitanga and Waikato Tainui governm ...

, located in the present day settlement of

Te Miro Te Miro is an area in the Waipa District of the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Te Miro is situated 31 kilometres east southeast of Hamilton, and 24 kilometres northeast of Cambridge. Te Miro has a population of approximate ...

, near

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

. It was founded by Tāwhiao after his proposal to set up a pan-Maori parliament in New Zealand to complement the Colonial legislative council was denied by Auckland authorities. The parliament's members consisted of tribally appointed delegates who advised King Tāwhiao on policy and was used by him to communicate with his subjects. The Kauhanganui remains in existence today, and currently serves as the governing council of the modern

Waikato Tainui Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of Māori ''iwi'' based in Waikato Region, in the western central region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the larger Tainui confederation of Polynesian settlers who arrived to New Zealand ...

tribal government. It is headed by 204 tribal members – 3 members from each of the 68 marae. The marae are spread over a large area from Te Kuiti and

in the south to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

in the north. The executive board is

Te Arataura Te Arataura is the executive board of the Kauhanganui, the legislative council of the Waikato Tainui. It has 10 representatives elected from Te Kauhanganui and an 11th member appointed by the Māori king. The Waikato-Tainui tribal administration ...

, which has 10 representatives elected from Te Kauhanganui and an 11th member appointed by the

Māori king 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 ...

. The Waikato-Tainui tribal administration (or iwi authority) is the "Waikato Raupatu Trustee Company Ltd", which replaced the "Tainui Māori Trust Board", and is situated at Hopuhopu, Ngāruawāhia. The Waikato-Tainui iwi comprises 33 hapu (sub-tribes) and 65

(family groupings). There are over 52,000 tribal members who affiliate to Waikato-Tainui. Flag of Potatau Te Wherowhero

References

{{Reflist Māori politics

Background

See also

References