Tieke Kāinga is a small

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 ...

community in

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 ...

, on the middle reaches of the

Whanganui River The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natura ...

downstream from the mouth of the Mangatiti Stream. It is centred on Tieke

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 ...

, a converted

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

tramping hut. The surrounding land is subject to a Māori land claim which began with occupation of the hut in 1993.

History

Pre-European and early 20th Century

Prior to European colonisation, Tieke was a trading centre on the Whanganui River as well as a place of learning and a fortified

pā The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive terraces – and also to fortified villages. Pā sites o ...

. In 1841 Tieke was described by Wakefield as a large settlement (perhaps 80–90 inhabitants); in the 1840s it shifted across the river and changed its name to Te Ririatepo, but by 1851 it had shifted back and was known as Okirihau, with a population of 93. The area was part of the government's 1886 Waimarino Purchase intended to allow sale of land to settlers, and the chief Te Rangihuatau who lived at Tieke assisted with the purchase. However, there was confusion over whether Tieke itself was included. Te Rangihuatau considered it to be Māori land, the government considered it “Crown Lands which the Natives are allowed to use and occupy without a title”. Early in the 20th century the land changed from tribal to government ownership, although no official records of the 1906 Whanganui River Trust transaction exist today. In 1908 Te Rangihuatau died and the marae was abandoned.Parnell, Jim. (2005
Tieke. Whanganui River
Retrieved April 9, 2007

Recent land claim and occupation

The land surrounding Tieke became scenic reserve, and then part of the

Whanganui National Park The Whanganui National Park is a national park located in the North Island of New Zealand. Established in 1986, it covers an area of 742 km2 bordering the Whanganui River. It incorporates areas of Crown land, former state forest and a numb ...

when it was created in 1986. As part of the series of facilities they provided along the river, the Department of Conservation built a large hut at Tieke. In the mid-1990s the Department of Conservation began levying a Facilities Use Pass, a toll on river users to maintain its huts and services, which caused controversy amongst some local Māori. In September 1993 a group called Te Whānau o Tieke Māori reclaimed the land, occupying the hut and converting it into a

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 ...

.Young, David. (22 September 2012). 'Whanganui tribes - The 20th century
Te Ara - Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Retrieved 3 Dec 2015

Current inhabitants

Today Tieke Kāinga is home to an extended family, Te Whānau o Tieke, also known as Tamahaki after the name of their common ancestor, whose members trace their ancestry to pre-European Tieke. They claim membership of the

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 ...

Ngā Rauru Ngā Rauru (also ''Ngā Rauru Kītahi'') is a Māori iwi in the South Taranaki region of New Zealand. In the 2006 census, 4,047 Māori claimed affiliation to Ngā Rauru, representing 12 hapu. History Early history The early history of Ngā Rauru ...

. However, the marae also serves as a popular stop-off point for tourists canoeing the Whanganui River (part of the

Whanganui Journey The Whanganui Journey is a river journey along the Whanganui River in the North Island of New Zealand travelling by canoe or kayak. The route, starting at Taumarunui and finishing at Pipiriki, is 145 km long and usually takes 5 days to co ...

). Another camping site, Ramanui, sits nearby on the opposite bank of the river. Whilst the land is still formally disputed, the Department of Conservation and the Te Whānau o Tieke Māori have developed an amicable and co-operative relationship, working together to upgrade and maintain facilities at Tieke Kāinga.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tieke Kainga Populated places in Manawatū-Whanganui Settlements on the Whanganui River