Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi (tribe) based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's

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-larges ...

. It is part of the

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 ...

confederation, the members of which trace their

whakapapa Whakapapa (, ), or genealogy, is a fundamental principle in Māori culture. Reciting one's whakapapa proclaims one's Māori identity, places oneself in a wider context, and links oneself to land and tribal groupings and the mana of those. Exp ...

(genealogy) back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the waka (canoe)

. The 2006 New Zealand census shows the iwi to have a membership of 33,627, making it the 7th biggest iwi in New Zealand.

History

Ngāti Maniapoto trace their lineage to their eponymous ancestor

Maniapoto Maniapoto was a Māori ''rangatira'' (chieftain) of Ngāti Raukawa in the Tainui tribal confederation from the Waikato region, New Zealand, and the founding ancestor of the Ngāti Maniapoto iwi. Initially, he based himself at Waiponga in the Mo ...

, an 11th generation descendant of the people who arrived on the ''

'' waka and settled at the

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 sout ...

. His father

Rereahu Rereahu was a Maori ''rangatira'' (chieftain) of Ngāti Raukawa in the Tainui tribal confederation from the Waikato region, New Zealand. He probably lived in the first half of the seventeenth century. He is the ancestor of the Ngāti Maniapoto, N ...

led the Tainui expansion to the interior of the Waikato region, and Maniapoto settled in the southern Waikato area. Maniapoto's older brother

Te Ihinga-a-rangi Te Ihinga-a-rangi was a Maori ''rangatira'' (chieftain) of Ngāti Raukawa in the Tainui tribal confederation from the Waikato region, New Zealand and is the ancestor of the Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Korokī Kahukura iwi and the Te Ihinga-a-rangi ha ...

settled at Maungatautari, forming the Ngāti Hauā and

Ngāti Korokī Kahukura Ngāti Korokī Kahukura is a Māori iwi of the Maungatautari area of the Waikato in New Zealand. It was formed by the coming together of two related hapū, Ngāti Korokī and Ngāti Kahukura. It has historic affiliations with Ngāti Raukawa (Ngati ...

iwi.

Hapū and marae

There are many marae (area in front of a wharenui) in the Ngāti Maniapoto area, one of the notable ones being Te Tokanga Nui A Noho at Te Kuiti (the narrowing) in the King Country. This whare was given to Ngāti Maniapoto by

Te Kooti Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (c. 1832–1893) was a Māori leader, the founder of the Ringatū religion and guerrilla fighter. While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau in 1865, he was accused of spying. Exiled to the Cha ...

, a Rongowhakaata guerilla fighter who lived in the region for the period while on the run from colonial forces which undertook searches for him during the

New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the M ...

. Of equal significance but less publicly known is Tiroa

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

where the last Io whare wānanga (traditional study centre) was held in a specially crafted

whare 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'' ( ...

called Te Whetu Marama o Hinawa at Te Miringa Te Kakara. The other whare wānanga was near present-day Piopio and was called Kahuwera. It stood on the hill of the same name and commanded a panoramic view of the Mokau River valley across the Maraetaua block. * Ngāti Rora * Ngāti Hinewai * Ngāti Taiawa or Taewa * Ngāti Kaputuhi *

Ngāti Kinohaku Kinohaku was a Maori woman of Ngāti Maniapoto in the Tainui tribal confederation from the Waikato region, New Zealand. She is the eponymous ancestor of the Ngāti Kinohaku hapu (sub-tribe) of Ngāti Maniapoto and probably lived in the seven ...

* Ngāti Ngutu * Ngāti Mokau * Ngāti Hikairo * Ngāti Apakura * Ngāti Matakore * Ngāti Raukawa * Ngāti Utu * Ngati Urunumia *

Ngāti Paretekawa Ngāti Paretekawa (Paretekawa) are a very numerous 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. His ...

*Ngati Parewaeono * Ngāti Waiora * Ngāti Hari * Ngāti Uekaha * Ngāti Rangatahi * Ngati Peehi

Ngāti Te Kanawa

Ngāti Te Kanawa is an iwi based in

Taumarunui Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of T ...

and one of the forty main hapu of the Ngāti Maniapoto confederation, which came into existence around 1860. They trace their

to the tupuna (ancestor) Te Kanawa, who was the great-great-great grandson of the tupuna Maniapoto and comes off Uruhina (daughter of Rungaterangi and Pareraukawa). The families who carry the name Te Kanawa today have a direct male blood line

to the tupuna Te Kanawa, also known as Te Kanawa Pango.

Notable people

Wiremu Te Awhitu Wiremu is a masculine given name, the Māori form of William. Notable people with the name include: People with given name Wiremu * Aaron Wiremu Cruden (born 1989), New Zealand rugby union player * Wiremu Doherty, New Zealand Māori educationali ...

, Catholic priest *

Sandor Earl Sandor Earl (; born 21 September 1989) is a former New Zealand Māori international rugby league footballer who played on the for the Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers, Canberra Raiders and the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NR ...

, league player * Mihi Edwards, memoirist, social worker, teacher and

kaumātua A kaumātua is a respected tribal elder of either sex 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 ...

Taonui Hikaka Taonui Hikaka (died 2 December 1892) was an Ariki and Rangatira Chief of the Ngāti Maniapoto iwi in New Zealand. He was born in Paripari, King Country, in the early 1840s. After his father Taonui (I) who was one of the 500 chiefs that signed Te ...

, Paramount chief * Dame

Rangimārie Hetet Dame Rangimārie Hetet (née Hursthouse, 24 May 1892 – 14 June 1995) was a New Zealand Māori tohunga raranga (master weaver). She identified with the Ngati Maniapoto iwi. Early life Hetet was born in Oparure, King Country, New Zealan ...

, famous weaver and fabric artist * Dr Pei Te Hurinui Jones, academic and writer *

Richard Kahui Richard Kahui (born 9 June 1985) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays for Western Force in Super Rugby AU. He previously played for the and in Super Rugby, Waikato in the National Provincial Championship, and New Zealand internationa ...

, rugby union player *

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa , (; born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6 March 1944) is a retired New Zealand opera singer. She had a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced". Te ...

, opera singer * Rewi Manga Maniapoto, warrior chief *

Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera '' Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "Th ...

, actor * Earl Nikora, boxer * Puhiwahine, composer *

Tiki Taane Tiki Taane (born 17 December 1976) is a New Zealand-based musician, experimentalist, musical activist, producer, and live engineer. He was a member of leading New Zealand band Salmonella Dub but left after eleven years on 1 January 2007 to pur ...

, singer * Rongo Wetere, educator *

Wahanui Te Wahanui Reihana Te Huatare (also Te Reihana Whakahoehoe; died 5 December 1897) was a diplomat and leader of the Ngāti Maniapoto iwi. Wahanui was born probably in the late 1820s. His father was Te Ngohi-te-arau, also known as Te Huatare, of N ...

, negotiator chief * Derek Kōtuku Totorewa Wooster, broadcaster

References

External links

Maniapoto Trust Board

Ngati Maniapoto Marae Pact Trust

''Ngāti Maniapoto''
in Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand {{DEFAULTSORT:Ngati Maniapoto