Ngāti Rongomaiwahine or Rongomaiwahine 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) traditionally centred in the
Māhia Peninsula
Māhia Peninsula () is located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, in the Hawke's Bay region, between the towns of Wairoa and Gisborne.
It includes Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1, located near Ahuriri Point at the southern tip ...
on the
North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
of New Zealand.
In the
2006 census, 4,254 people identified as Rongomaiwahine;
by the
2013 census, this has increased to 4,473 people.
It is closely connected to the
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 ...
iwi.
The people of Rongomaiwahine are descended from a common ancestor,
Rongomaiwahine. She was descended from
Ruawharo, the ''
tohunga
In the culture of the Māori people, Māori of New Zealand, a tohunga (tōhuka in Southern Māori dialect) is an expert practitioner of any skill or art, either religious or otherwise. Tohunga include expert priests, healers, navigators, carvers, ...
'' (navigator) of the
Tākitimu
''Tākitimu'' was a ''waka (canoe), waka'' (canoe) with ''whakapapa'' throughout the Pacific Ocean, Pacific particularly with Samoa, the Cook Islands, and New Zealand in ancient times. In several Māori mythology, Māori traditions, the ''Tāk ...
''
waka'' (Māori migration canoe), and
Popoto, the commander of the ''
Kurahaupō
''Kurahaupō'' was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand in Māori tradition.
In Taranaki tribal tradition, ''Kurahaupō'' is known as ''Te Waka Pakaru ki te moana'' or 'The Cano ...
'' waka.
In
Māori tradition, Rongomaiwahine was known to have had two husbands: Tamatakutai and
Kahungunu. With Tamatakutai, she bore two daughters, Rapuaiterangi and Hinerauiri. With Kahungunu (well known as the eponymous ancestor 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 ...
) she had five children: Kahukuranui, Rongomaipapa, Tamateakota, Mahakinui and Tauheikuri.
Historically, Rongomaiwahine have operated successful whaling stations. Today, fishing remains an important industry, along with the operation of sheep and cattle stations. Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust (RIT) is the administrative body of the iwi.
Marae and wharenui
Peninsula marae
Te Atihau was the tribe's traditional ''
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 ...
'' (meeting ground).
The ground is now part of
farming station of
designated Māori freehold land which
Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab Corporation is a Public company, publicly traded aerospace manufacturer and List of launch service providers, launch service provider. Its Rocket Lab Electron, Electron orbital rocket launches Small satellite, small satellites, and ha ...
uses to launch satellites.
The iwi is also associated with three other ''marae'' and ''
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 ''wikt:wh ...
'' (meeting houses) on the peninsula:
* Kaiuku (Oku-ra-renga) marae and Kiwi wharenui, Mahia East Coast Road
* Tuahuru marae and Hine te Rongo wharenui, Mahia East Coast Road
*Te Apaapa-a-Rangi Marae, Nukutaurua Road
Inland marae
The iwi is associated with four ''marae'' and ''wharenui'' north of the peninsula:
* Māhanga (Rongomaiwahine) marae and Te Poho o Rongomaiwahine wharenui on Mahanga Road
* Ruawharo marae and wharenui on Opoutama Road
* Tāne-nui-a-Rangi marae and wharenui on State Highway 2 in
Nūhaka
Nūhaka is a small settlement in the northern Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand's eastern North Island, lying on State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Gisborne. The road to Māhia Peninsula turns off the highway at Nūhaka.
Nūhaka has one gen ...
* Te Rākatō marae on Kaiwaitau Road
See also
*
List of Māori iwi
This is a list of iwi (New Zealand Māori tribes).
List of iwi
This list includes groups recognised as iwi (tribes) in certain contexts. Many are also hapū (sub-tribes) of larger iwi.
Moriori are included on this list. Although they are dist ...
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngati Rongomaiwahine
Iwi and hapū
Māhia Peninsula