Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of

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 ...

'' based in

Waikato Region Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, t ...

, in the western central 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 count ...

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 ...

. It is part of the larger

Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka confederation of New Zealand Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa and Waikato. There are oth ...

confederation of Polynesian settlers who arrived to New Zealand on the Tainui ''

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 ...

'' (migration canoe). The tribe is named after the

Waikato River The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand, running for through the North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. It th ...

, which plays a large part in its history and culture.

Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (died 25 June 1860) was a Māori warrior, leader of the Waikato iwi (confederation of tribes), the first Māori King and founder of the Te Wherowhero royal dynasty. He was first known just as ''Te Wherowhero'' and took the ...

, the first

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 ...

, was a member of the Waikato hapu (sub-tribe) of

Ngāti Mahuta Ngāti Mahuta is a sub-tribe (or hapū) of the Waikato tribe (or iwi) of Māori in the North Island of New Zealand. The territory (rohe) of Ngāti Mahuta is the Kawhia and Huntly areas of the Waikato region. History Ngāti Mahuta is descended f ...

, and his descendants have succeeded him. The king movement is based at

Tūrangawaewae Tūrangawaewae Marae is located in the town of Ngāruawāhia in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. A very significant marae, it is the headquarters for the Māori King Movement (''Te Kīngitanga'') and the official residence ...

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 place) in

Ngāruawāhia Ngāruawāhia () is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located north-west of Hamilton at the confluence of the Waikato and Waipā Rivers, adjacent to the Hakarimata Range. Ngāruawāhia is in the Hamilton Ur ...

. The Waikato-Tainui iwi comprises 33

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 ...

(sub-tribes) and 65

(family groupings). There are over 52,000 tribal members who affiliate to Waikato-Tainui. Hamilton City is now the tribe's largest population centre, but Ngāruawāhia remains the tribe's historical centre and modern capital. In the 2006 census, 33,429 people in New Zealand indicated they were affiliated with Waikato, including those affiliated with more than one tribe. This is how the iwi describes its origins and tribal area:

Government

Waikato-Tainui's governing parliamentary body is

Te Kauhanganui The Whakakitenga, formerly known as the Kauhanganui, is a Māori parliament established by King Tāwhiao of the Kīngitanga in 1889 or 1890. Members of Te Whakakitenga are elected for three year terms, with each marae electing two members. B ...

, a governing body of 204 tribal members – 3 members from each of the 68 marae. The marae are spread over a large area from Te Kuiti and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a 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. Cambridge bec ...

in the south to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

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. 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 iwi has been using the name ''Tainui'' to describe itself for some time, through the establishment of the Tainui Māori Trust Board by the

Waikato-Maniapoto Maori Claims Settlement Act 1946 The Waikato-Maniapoto Maori Claims Settlement Act 1946 was an act passed by the New Zealand Parliament on 7 October 1946. The purpose of the act was "to effect a Final Settlement of certain Claims relating to the Confiscation of Maori Lands in t ...

, with many people now referring to the Waikato iwi as "Tainui" or "Waikato-Tainui". There have traditionally been strong links between Tainui and the

University of Waikato The University of Waikato ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato), is a Public university, public research university in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand established in 1964. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university perfo ...

, which has strengths in

Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...

and modern local history. The university also holds documents and objects related to the tribe.

Hapū and marae

Waikato Tainui is made up of several ''

'' (tribes) and ''

(sub-tribes). Each tribal group has ''

'' (meeting grounds), which usually includes a ''

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 house).

Ngāti Mahuta

The iwi of

is associated with 20 marae: * 1 in Māngere Bridge:

Te Puea Memorial Marae Te Puea Memorial Marae is a marae located in Māngere Bridge, Auckland, New Zealand. Opened in 1965, it was the first urban marae in Auckland, built for ''ngā hau e whā'' (all Māori), but in particular as a community centre for local Urban ...

* 3 near

Te Kauwhata Te Kauwhata is a small town in the north of the Waikato region of New Zealand, situated close to the western shore of Lake Waikare, some 40 km north of Hamilton and approximately 58 km south of Manukau City. Description ''Te Kau ...

: Ōkarea marae, Taniwha marae and Matahuru Papakainga marae * 1 in

Rangiriri Rangiriri is a rural community in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Waikato River near Lake Waikare in the Waikato District. State Highway 1 now bypasses Rangiriri. Rangiriri was the s ...

: Horahora marae * 4 in and around

Huntly Huntly ( gd, Srath Bhalgaidh or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlement ...

: Te Ōhākī marae, Kaitumutumu marae, Te Kauri marae and Waahi marae * 3 in and around

: Taupiri marae, Waikeri–Tangirau marae, and Tūrangawaewae marae * 1 near

Te Awamutu Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipa District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some south of Hamilt ...

: Te Kōpua marae * 3 around

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 ...

: Mōtakotako (Taruke) marae, Te Papatapu (Te Wehi) marae and Te Tihi o Moerangi marae * 4 around

Kawhia Harbour Kawhia Harbour (Maori: ''Kāwhia'') is one of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located to the south of Raglan Harbour, Ruapuke and Aotea Harbour, 40 kilometres southwe ...

: Maketū marae, Ōkapu marae, Āruka marae and Te Kōraha marae

Ngāti Te Wehi

The iwi of

Ngāti Te Wehi Ngāti Te Wehi is a Māori iwi (tribe) based in Kawhia on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. According to the 1874 census, Ngati Te Wehi were registered as an iwi. They are the principle iwi of the Aotea Harbour iwi, with close ties an ...

is associated with 11 marae: * 4 marae around

: Ookapu marae, Mōtakotako (Taruke) marae, Te Papatapu (Te Wehi) marae and Te Tihi o Moerangi marae * 5 marae around

:Raakaunui marae, Waipapa marae, Maketū marae, Āruka marae and Te Kōraha marae * 2 marae in

: Tūrangawaewae marae and Waikeri – Tangirau marae

Ngāti Kuiaarangi, Ngāti Tai and Ngāti Whāwhākia

The hapū of Ngāti Tai, Ngāti Kuiaarangi and Ngāti Whāwhākia are associated with 8 marae: * 4 marae in and around

: Kaitumutumu marae, Te Kauri marae, Waahi marae and Te Ōhākī marae * 2 marae near

: Ōkarea marae and Taniwha marea in Waeranga * 1 marae in Māngere Bridge:

* 1 marae in

Taupiri Taupiri is a small town of about 500 people on the eastern bank of the Waikato River in the Waikato District of New Zealand. It is overlooked by Taupiri mountain, the sacred burial ground for the Waikato tribes of the Māori people, located ...

: Taupiri marae

Tainui

The hapū of Tainui is associated with 7 marae: * 4 marae east of

: Te Ākau marae, Pukerewa marae, Te Poho o Tanikena marae and Weraroa marae * 2 marae around

Raglan Harbour Raglan is a small beachside town located 48 km west of Hamilton, New Zealand on State Highway 23. It is known for its surfing, and volcanic black sand beaches. History The Ngāti Māhanga iwi occupied the area around Raglan in the lat ...

: Poihākena marae and Te Kōpua marae * 1 marae around

: Mōtakotako (Taruke) marae

Ngāti Tāhinga

The hapū of Ngāti Tāhinga is associated with 6 marae: * 2 marae in

Port Waikato Port Waikato is on the south bank of the Waikato River at its outflow into the Tasman Sea, in northern New Zealand. Port Waikato is a well-known surfing and whitebaiting destination and a popular holiday spot. Fish can be caught off the rocks ...

: Ngāti Tāhinga marae and Pakau marae * 4 marae west of

: Pukerewa, Te Ākau, Te Poho o Tanikena and Weraroa

Ngāti Apakura

The hapū of Ngāti Apakura is associated with 6 marae: * 3 marae around

Pirongia Pirongia is a small town in the Waipa District of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is 12 kilometres to the west of Te Awamutu, on the banks of the Waipā River, close to the foot of the 962 metre Mount Pirongia, which lies i ...

: Pūrekireki marae, Hīona marae and Te Kōpua * 1 marae in Otorohanga: Kahotea marae * 1 marae in Te Kuiti: Te Tokanganui a Noho

Ngāti Tiipa and Ngāti Āmaru

The hāpu of Ngāti Tiipa and Ngāti Āmaru are associated with 6 marae: * 2 marae in

Tuakau Tuakau ( mi, Tūākau) is a town in the Waikato region at the foot of Bombay hills, formerly part of the Franklin district until 2010, when it became part of Waikato District in the North Island of New Zealand. The town serves to support local ...

: Ngā Tai e Rua marae and Tauranganui marae * 4 marae at

: Pakau marae, Te Awamārahi marae, Te Kotahitanga marae and Tikirahi marae

Ngāti Hauā

The hāpu of Ngāti Hauā is associated with 5 marae: * 3 marae in and around

Morrinsville Morrinsville is a provincial town in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island, with an estimated population of as of The town is located at the northern base of the Pakaroa Range, and on the south-western fringe of the Hauraki Plains. ...

: Kai a Te Mata marae, Raungaiti mare and Rukumoana marae * 2 marae 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 ...

: Te Iti a Hauā (Tauwhare) marae and Waimakariri marae

Ngāti Korokī and Ngāti Raukawa

The hapū of Ngāti Korokī and Ngāti Raukawa are associated with 5 marae: * 2 marae south-east of

: Rāwhitiroa (Ōwairaka) marae in Parawera and Aotearoa marae in Wharepapa South * 2 marae near

Lake Karapiro Lake Karapiro () is an artificial reservoir lake on the Waikato River at Karapiro, south-east of Cambridge in New Zealand's North Island. The lake was formed in 1947 by the damming of the Waikato River to store water for the 96-megawatt Karapir ...

: Maungatautari marae in Maungatautari and Pōhara marae in Arapuni * 1 marae near

Tokoroa Tokoroa ( mi, Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere) is the fifth-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato District. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the ...

: Ngātira marae in Kinleith

Ngāti Māhanga and Ngāti Tamainupō

The hapū of Ngāti Māhanga and Ngāti Tamainupō are associated with 4 marae: * 2 marae around

: Te Kaharoa (Aramiro) in Raglan and Waingaro marae in Waingaro * 2 marae near

Whatawhata Whatawhata, previously also spelt Whata Whata, is a small town in the Waikato region on the east bank of the Waipā River, at the junction of State Highways 23 and 39, from Hamilton. Te Araroa tramping route passes through Whatawhata. Hist ...

: Ōmaero marae and Te Papa o Rotu (Te Oneparepare) marae

Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Koheriki, and Ngāti Tamaoho

The hapū of Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Koheriki, and Ngāti Tamaoho are associated with 4 marae: * Marae Kirikiri marae in Pōkeno * Ngā Hau e Whā marae in

Pukekohe Pukekohe is a town in the Auckland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the southern edge of the Auckland Region, it is in South Auckland, between the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour and the mouth of the Waikato River. ...

* Umupuia marae in

Clevedon Clevedon (, ) is an English seaside town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, part of the ceremonial county of Somerset. It recorded a parish population of 21,281 in the United Kingdom Census 2011, estimated at 21,442 ...

* Whātāpaka marae in Karaka

Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Naho and Ngāti Pou

The hapū of Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Naho and Ngāti Pou are associated with 4 marae: * 1 marae at

: Waikare marae * 1 marae at

: Horahora marae * 2 marae south of Lake Wairere: Maurea marae at Te Ōhakī and Matahuru Papakainga marae at Ohinewai

Ngāti Te Ata and Ngāti Paretaua

The hapū of Ngāti Te Ata and Ngāti Paretaua are associated with 4 marae: * 2 marae in

Māngere Māngere () or Mangere is one of the largest suburbs in Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on mainly flat land on the northeastern shore of the Manukau Harbour, to the northwest of Manukau City Centre and 15 kilometres south of ...

: Makaurau marae and Pūkaki marae * 2 marae in

Waiuku Waiuku is a rural town in the Auckland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the Waiuku River, which is an estuarial arm of the Manukau Harbour, and lies on the isthmus of the Āwhitu Peninsula, which ...

: Reretēwhioi marae and Tāhuna marae

Ngāti Taratikitiki

The hapū of Ngāti Te Ata and Ngāti Paretaua are associated with 4 marae: * 1 marae in

: Waikare marae * 1 marae in

: Horahora marae * 2 marae east of

: Maurea marae and Te Poho o Tanikena marae

Ngāti Makirangi

The hapū of Ngāti Makirangi has no marae of its own, but is associated with 4 marae: * 2 marae near

: Hukanui marae and Tauhei marae * 1 marae near

: Waiti (Raungaunu) marae * 1 marae near Tahuna: Hoe o Tainui marae

Ngāti Wairere

The hapū of Ngāti Wairere is associated with 2 marae: * Hukanui marae east of

* Tauhei marae north of

Rototuna Rototuna is a suburb in northern Hamilton, New Zealand, east of Flagstaff. It is one of the newest and fastest-growing suburbs in Hamilton, along with neighbouring Huntington and Flagstaff. Sometimes the name Rototuna is used to collectivel ...

Other hapū

* Ngāti Ngutu, based at Mangatoatoa marae in Te Awamutu and Rākaunui marae near Kawhia * Ngāti Paretekawa, based at Mangatoatoa marae in Te Awamutu and Rākaunui marae in Hauturu * Ngāti Pātupō * Ngāti Puhiawe, based at Waipapa marae in Kawhia * Ngāti Ruru, based at Pārāwera marae near Te Awamutu * Ngāti Werokoko, based at Pārāwera marae near Te Awamutu *

Te Ākitai Waiohua Te Ākitai Waiohua is a Māori iwi of the southern part of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. History Te Ākitai Waiohua are descended from Kiwi Tāmaki, the grandson of Huakaiwaka, himself the ancestor of the Waiohua iwi, who lived in Tāmak ...

, based at Makaurau marae in Mangere

References

External links

Official website of Waikato TainuiOfficial site of Tainui Group Holdings
the tribe's commercial arm {{Iwi Iwi and hapū