tikanga Māori Tikanga is a Māori term for practices, customary law, attitudes and principles. Te Aka Māori Dictionary defines it as "customary system of values and practices that have developed over time and are deeply embedded in the social context". M ...

(Māori culture or practice), a (runaka in Southern Māori dialect) is a tribal council, assembly, board or boardroom. The term can also be a verb meaning "to discuss in an assembly". An

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) can have one governing rūnanga and many sub rūnanga. In such cases it can be used to mean the subdivision of a tribe governed by that council. It is also used for non tribal affiliations as with the CTU Runanga a sub union for

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 ...

workers. The leader or representative of a rūnanga is sometimes referred to as Te Upoku o Te Rūnanga (literally "The head of the rūnanga").

Historical organisation and practice

The Rūnanga System (1861–1863) constituted a system of Māori

self-government Self-governance, self-government, self-sovereignty or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any ...

devised by Governor

George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Gov ...

, to be comparable to the

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

. The plan was for them to be led by European commissioners. The system was never fully implemented and was cancelled due to the

New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars () took place from 1845 to 1872 between the Colony of New Zealand, New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori people, Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. Though the wars were initi ...

Modern practice

Rūnanga as a broad definition can be seen as the way groups make or attempt to make decisions. Māori groups and councils debate and discuss issues in a vast array of different ways which, while informed by the past, have changed greatly over the last century.

References

Māori words and phrases Māori society Committees {{Māori-stub