Iwi

As Iwi the largest social unit is referred to in the company of Māori. In pre- European time Iwi was a synonym for nationality. The word was referring entirely on the people to which a person belongs to and where it was committed. With the emergence of the State of New Zealand Iwi was based on a larger social unit and meant so much as tribe or clan.

Iwi groups can, according to the tradition of their ancestors traced back to the first Māori settlers who came from the mythical island of Hawaiki. Māori who know their iwi connections, attach great importance to and are proud that they know their genealogy. If you imagine hearing their origin among the first things they mention.

Many Iwi are grouped into larger groups based on the genealogical descent ( whakapapa ) and are based Waka ( canoe means, for example, the original canoes of the first settlers ) are called.

Each Iwi can be divided into several sub - tribes ( hapu ). For example, the iwi Ngāti Whatua occupation of the following Hapus: Te Uri -o -Hau, Te Roroa, Te Taou and Ngāti Whatua occupation ki Orakei.

Each iwi has its own territory ( Raw ) that does not overlap with the lands of a second Iwi.

Political Influence

Despite the migration within New Zealand and the marriage with non - Māori over the centuries most Iwi still exist and have significant political influence, which they use to recover lands and other assets that were taken from them in the past 150 years. A notable example from the recent time is the compensation that was awarded by the New Zealand Government Ngai Tahu iwi the. This loss of rights were compensated, which are the Iwi by non-compliance of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. In a lawsuit from the year 2004, several iwi claim the seabed and foreshore in their region as their property and thus have polarized public opinion. The affairs of the Iwi have a very real impact on New Zealand politics and society.

Bone or roots

In the language of Māori iwi means " bone ". The Māori writer Keri Hulme has in her novel The Bone People ( The Bone People, German edition: The Bone People ) described the double meaning of bones and tribe as follows: After a trip or long absence that will come home " back to the bones called to go, " in the literal sense back where the bones of their ancestors are buried. Other companies use this word " root ".

Known Iwi (selection)

• Ngai Tahu or Kai Tahu ( in the south of New Zealand is home to most of the South Island )
• Ngapuhi (the largest Iwi, the feel they belong according to a census from the year 2001, more than 100,000 people from the Northland )
• Ngāti Kahungunu ( from the region of Hawke 's Bay and Wairarapa )
• Ngāti Maniapoto ( in the Waikato - Waitomo region)
• Ngāti Porou ( located in Gisborne - East Cape
• Ngāti Tama ( from the region of Taranaki and Wellington )
• Ngāti Toa ( Ngāti Toa - rangatira ) ( living in Porirua have emigrated in the 1820s from Kawhia under the leadership of Te Rauparaha )
• Ngāti Ruanui ( located in the Taranaki region )
• Ngāti Whatua occupation ( and north of Auckland, emphasis in Orakei )
• Tainui ( from the region of Waikato )
• Te Arawa ( merger of some iwi in the area of ​​Bay of Plenty Rotorua and )
• Te Atiawa ( living in Taranaki and Lower Hutt
• Tuhoe ( Urewera in the region around / Whakatane )
• Tuwharetoa ( in the center of the North Island )
• Whakatohea ( from the district of Opotiki )

See also

• List of Māori iwi

• Iwi and Hapu