Ngāti Raukawa is a

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 Co ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

(tribe) with traditional bases in the

Waikato The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...

Taupō Taupō (), sometimes written Taupo, is a town located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the edge of Lake Taupō, which is the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. Taupō was constituted as a borough in 1953. It h ...

and Manawatū/

Horowhenua Horowhenua District is a territorial authority district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Horowhenua District Council. Located north of Wellington and Kāpiti, it stretches from slightly north of the town of ...

regions of New Zealand. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa.

History

Early history

Ngāti Raukawa are descended from Raukawa, son of Māhina-a-rangi of

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi (tribe) located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The Kahungunu iwi also comprises 86 hapū (sub-tribes ...

and

Tūrongo Tūrongo was a Māori people, Māori rangatira (chief) in the Tainui confederation of tribes, based at Rangiātea, near Waikeria, New Zealand. He quarrelled with his brother, Whatihua, and as a result Tainui was split between them, with Tūrongo ...

, who was descended from the settlers of the ''

Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka (canoe), waka confederation of New Zealand Māori people, Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki Māori, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapo ...

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, 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 paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

. One of Raukawa's descendants was Maniapoto, ancestor of the

Ngāti Maniapoto Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi (tribe) based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back to people who arrived in New Zealand on th ...

iwi. Ngāti Raukawa established their territory in the southern Waikato and northern Taupō region. In the early 19th century many Ngāti Raukawa people migrated to the Manawatū, Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast region. In the mid-17th century, the Ngāti Raukawa ''rangatira''

Whāita Whāita was a Māori ''rangatira'' (chieftain) of the Ngāti Raukawa iwi in the Tainui tribal confederation based at Wharepuhanga near Rangitoto in the Waikato region, New Zealand and is the ancestor of the Ngāti Whāita ''hapū''. He probably li ...

, Tama-te-hura, and Wairangi conquered the section of the upper

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 ...

between

Putāruru Putāruru is a small town in the South Waikato District and the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It lies on the western side of the Mamaku Ranges and in the upper basin of the Waihou River. It is on the Oraka Stream 65 kilometres s ...

and

Ātiamuri Ātiamuri is a former hydro village in the central North Island of New Zealand. It lies alongside State Highway 1 about 27 km south of Tokoroa and 38 km north of Taupō. It is bordered by the Waikato River and surrounded by pine planta ...

in the

Ngāti Raukawa–Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga War The Ngāti Raukawa–Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga War was a conflict between the Ngāti Raukawa iwi of Tainui and Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga in the Waikato region of New Zealand in the mid-seventeenth century, which resulted in Tainui's acquisition of the ...

. After this war, Wairangi settled the area south of

Whakamaru Whakamaru is a town in the central region of the North Island of New Zealand. The Māori words 'whaka' and 'maru' literally mean to give shelter to, or safeguard. The town is adjacent to a hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River, and ...

and his descendants, the Ngāti Wairangi, now share Mōkai

marae A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...

with a number of other hapu. Whāita took the section furthest up the river, around Pōhatu-roa and his descendants, the Ngāti Whāita, have their marae at

Ōngāroto Tokoroa is the fourth-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 and 20 km south of Putāruru, close to the foot of th ...

, on the north bank of the Waikato River, a little west of Ātiamuri. In the early 19th century, significant numbers of Ngāti Raukawa migrated south during the

Musket Wars The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori people, Māori between 1806 and 1845, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an inte ...

. Led by

Te Whatanui Te Whatanui (died 1846) was the leading chief of the Ngāti Raukawa ''iwi'' (Māori tribe) of New Zealand from the 1820s to the 1840s. His father was Tihao of the Ngāti Huia and Ngāti Parewahawaha ''hapū'' (subtribes) of Ngāti Raukawa, which ...

and other chiefs, they joined

Ngāti Toarangatira Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

in a southwards migration through the North Island, which proceeded in three stages. This brought them into conflict with established tangata whenua in the southern parts of the North Island. They conquered land from Rangitikei to Kapiti, and there settled many subtribes and established many

pā The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori people, Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive :wikt:terrace, terraces – and also to fo ...

. Four of the subtribes, Ngāti Waewae, Ngāti Pikiahu, Ngāti Matakore and Ngāti Rangatahi, are based on the Te Reureu block, between the Waitapu and Rangitawa Streams, at Kakariki, beside the

Rangitīkei River The Rangitīkei River is one of New Zealand's longest rivers, long. Its headwaters are to the southeast of Lake Taupō in the Kaimanawa Ranges. It flows from the Central Plateau south past Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville, Marton, and B ...

Modern history

Ngāti Raukawa has undergone great change in the 20th century. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, many Ngāti Raukawa left their traditional lands and migrated to cities. Starting in 1975, a determined effort was made to revitalise traditional language and establishments. Ngāti Raukawa have established a large number of

and other institutions, including Raukawa Marae and

Te Wānanga o Raukawa is a Māori wānanga (indigenous tertiary-education provider) in New Zealand, established in 1981. Based in Ōtaki, with smaller campuses in Auckland and Gisborne, the wānanga was born out of a collaborative tribal desire or experiment known ...

, a centre for higher learning. Administrative organisations include the Raukawa Trust Board and Te Rūnanga o Raukawa.

Media

Raukawa FM

Raukawa FM Raukawa may refer to : * Raukaua, plant * Ngāti Raukawa, tribe * Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (fl. 2000s), New Zealand activist * Cook Strait Cook Strait () is a strait that separates the North Island, North and South Islands of New Zealand. The s ...

is the official station of Ngāti Raukawa. It was set up by Te Reo Irirangi o Ngati Raukawa Trust on 23 October 1990. Many of its first hosts were Tokoroa High School students, and most of its staff are still volunteers. It broadcasts on in

Tokoroa Tokoroa is the fourth-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 and 20 km south of Putāruru, close to the foot of th ...

, in

Mangakino Mangakino is a small town on the banks of the Waikato River in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located close to the hydroelectric power station at Lake Maraetai, southeast of Hamilton. The town and its infrastructure are administered a ...

, and across the wider

Waikato region The Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City, as well as ...

. The station was co-founded by Emare Rose Nikora and Whiti te-Ra Kaihau. Nikora was a leader of the Māori language revival movement, and was the station's first

Māori language Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...

newsreader, manager and board member. She was recognised for her work with a Queen's Service Medal for services to Māori.

Te Upoko O Te Ika

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

pan-tribal Māori radio station Te Upoko O Te Ika has been affiliated to Ngāti Raukawa since 2014. It began part-time broadcasting in 1983 and full-time broadcasting in 1987, making it the longest-running Māori radio station in New Zealand.

Notable people

Hori Ahipene Hori Ahipene is an actor and director in theatre, film and television in New Zealand. He is also an award-winning playwright with the Māori play ''Hide 'n Seek'' co-written with Hone Kouka. He became a well-known face in New Zealand for his drama ...

, actor and director *

Tungia Baker Tungia Dorothea Gloria Baker (8 October 1939 – 25 July 2005) was a New Zealand actor, weaver, and administrator. Her notable acting roles included Ngahuia in the 1980s television drama ''Open House'' and Hira in the 1993 film ''The Piano''. B ...

, actress *

Georgina Beyer Georgina Beyer (November 1957 – 6 March 2023) was a New Zealand Labour Party politician who represented Wairarapa in the Parliament of New Zealand from 1999 to 2005, after serving as mayor of Carterton from 1995 to 1999. Beyer was the worl ...

, world's first transgender mayor and parliamentarian *

Nancy Brunning Nancy Brunning (1971 – 16 November 2019) was a New Zealand actress, director, and writer who won awards in film and television and made a major contribution to the growth of Māori in the arts. She won the best actress award at the New Zealand ...

, actress and director *

Pip Devonshire Pip Devonshire (born 1966) is a New Zealand weaver, curator and weaving tutor. Part of the iwi (tribes) of Ngāti Te Au, Ngāti Manomano and Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Devonshire descends from several notable weavers. She began weaving in the ...

, weaver * Jolene Douglas, artist *

Eddie Durie Sir Edward Taihakurei Durie (born 18 January 1940) is a New Zealand jurist who served on the High Court of New Zealand between 1998 and 2004. He was the first Māori appointed a judge of a New Zealand court. Career Durie graduated with a BA ...

, judge * Mason Durie, psychiatrist * Mihi Edwards, memoirist, social worker, teacher and

kaumātua A kaumātua is a respected tribal elder in a Māori community who has been involved with their whānau for a number of years. They are appointed by their people who believe the chosen elders have the capacity to teach and guide both current a ...

* Billy Guyton, rugby union player *

Patricia Grace Patricia Frances Grace (; born 17 August 1937) is a New Zealand writer of novels, short stories, and children's books. She began writing as a young adult, while working as a teacher. Her early short stories were published in magazines, leadin ...

, author *

Kassie Hartendorp Kassie Hartendorp is a community worker, activist and advocate for anti-racism, LGBTQI+ and takatāpui support, workers rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi education. She is the director of ActionStation Aotearoa, a New Zealand community campaigni ...

, community worker and activist *

Grant Kereama Grant Rodney Hokowhitu Kereama (born 30 May 1967) is a New Zealand radio host, formerly on ''The Polly and Grant Show'' on the ZM and More FM network. Kereama co-hosted his morning show with his ex-wife Polly Gillespie. Kereama began in radio ...

, radio host * Karl Leonard, carver and weaver *

Ranginui Parewahawaha Leonard Ranginui Parewahawaha Leonard (23 September 1872 – 29 December 1984) was a New Zealand weaver, farmer and kuia (respected elder). At the time of her death in 1984, age 112, she was the oldest woman in New Zealand, and one of the last people ...

, weaver *

Jaimee Lovett Jaimee Lovett (born 5 May 1988, in Whakatāne) is a New Zealand canoeist. Career She represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She competed alongside Caitlin Ryan, Kayla Imrie and Aimee Fisher in the Women's K-4 500 metres event. ...

, canoeist * Haane Manahi, soldier *

Rangimahora Reihana-Mete Rangimahora Reihana-Mete (née Leonard; 25 January 1899 — 29 December 1993) was a New Zealand Māori tohunga raranga (master weaver) and textile artist. She was affiliated with the Ngāti Raukawa iwi. Her artworks are held in the Museum of ...

, weaver * Ike Robin, sportsman, businessman and orator *

Te Rangiataahua Kiniwe Royal Te Rangiātaahua Kiniwē Royal (23 August 1896 – 8 July 1965) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader, land officer, Māori welfare officer, soldier, and sportsman. Biography Of Māori descent, Royal identified with the Ngāti Raukawa and N ...

, tribal leader, soldier and sportsman *

Jacinta Ruru Jacinta Arianna Ruru (born 1974) is an established New Zealand academic and the first Māori professor of law. Ruru is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori at the University of Otago. Academic career Ruru completed a Master's at the ...

, academic * Harata Solomon, teacher and religious leader * Bruce Stewart, playwright * Kingi Te Ahoaho Tahiwi, teacher and interpreter * Pirimi Pererika Tahiwi, teacher and community leader *

Codie Taylor Codie Joshua Dane Taylor (born 31 March 1991) is a New Zealand professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and is contracted to for New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship ...

, rugby union player *

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal is a New Zealand musician, academic, and Māori music revivalist. He is of Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tamaterā, and Ngā Puhi descent. He received a Bachelor of Music from Victoria University of Wellin ...

, academic *

Hana Te Hemara Hana Mere Te Hemara (16 February 1940 – 10 October 1999) was a prominent Māori activist and leader. Biography Te Hemara, of Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Raukawa descent, was the seventh of 12 children, born in Puketapu and educated at the Waitara ...

, Māori activist *

, tribal chief *

Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi (? – 28 September 1881), sometimes called Te Whiwhi-o-te-rangi, was a notable New Zealand Māori tribal leader, missionary and assessor. His mother was Rangi Topeora, niece of Te Rauparaha, sister of Te Rangihaeata ...

, tribal leader and chief * Inia Te Wiata, singer, actor and carver *

Rima Te Wiata Heather Rima Te Wiata (born 11 October 1963) is a British-born New Zealand singer, comedian and stage, film and television actress, who is also notable for her career in Australia, especially her long-running recurring role in soap opera ''Sons ...

, singer, comedian and actress * Vernice Wineera, poet, editor and educator * Mahinārangi Tocker, singer-songwriter * Rota Waitoa, Anglican clergyman

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

Raukawa Settlement Trust
South Waikato
Te Wānanga o Raukawa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngati Raukawa