Tūhono is an

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...

network for

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 ...

groups and individuals within New Zealand. As well as forming a network linking different

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 ...

and

hapū In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally opera ...

, Tūhono aims to promote cultural and spiritual wellbeing and benefit to the Māori community and also personal development and education. Tūhono is maintained as a charitable trust, established under the 1993 Electoral Act as a means for individual Māori to register their affiliation with iwi, in order to facilitate links and interaction between the iwi and their members. The Tūhono Central Web Service links with the

New Zealand Electoral Commission The Electoral Commission ( mi, Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri) is an independent Crown entity set up by the New Zealand Parliament. It is responsible for the administration of parliamentary elections and referendums, promoting compliance with elect ...

database in association with the

New Zealand Government , background_color = #012169 , image = New Zealand Government wordmark.svg , image_size=250px , date_established = , country = New Zealand , leader_title = Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern , appointed = Governor-General , main_organ = , ...

, allowing for automatic notifications to the iwi when a member changes address.Tūhono organisation
" ''www.tuhono.net''. Retrieved 15 August 2021. The

word ''Tūhono'' means to link or connect. Tūhono developed from a 1997 initiative by the Tautoko Māori Trust under Chairman Sir

Paul Reeves Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

. The Tūhono Trust was established in 2003 as

kaitiaki Kaitiaki is a New Zealand Māori term used for the concept of guardianship, for the sky, the sea, and the land. A kaitiaki is a guardian, and the process and practices of protecting and looking after the environment are referred to as kaitiakitan ...

(guardians) of Tūhono.Tūhono Trust
" ''www.tuhono.net''. Retrieved 15 August 2021. By 2004 100,000 Māori had registered with Tūhono. The following year, the Tūhono website was launched, and by 2011, 120 iwi and affiliated groups were registered as Tūhono organisations and were able to link to their members.Tūhono history
" ''www.tuhono.net''. Retrieved 15 August 2021. The trust is based in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

. Nine trustees are appointed by the country's various iwi, each one representing a different region. The chairperson and deputy chairperson are Anthony Olsen and Dr Te Taka Keegan respectively.

References

Māori organisations Organizations established in 1997 1997 establishments in New Zealand Hamilton, New Zealand Development charities based in New Zealand {{NewZealand-org-stub