Ngati Raukawa
Encyclopedia
Ngāti Raukawa is a Māori iwi
with traditional bases in the Waikato
, Taupo
and Manawatū/Horowhenua regions of New Zealand
. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa.
canoe
. One of his descendants was Maniapoto, ancestor of the Ngāti Maniapoto
iwi. Ngati Raukawa established their ancestral homeland in the Waikato region.
. They joined Ngāti Toarangatira in a southwards migration through the North Island, which proceeded in three stages. Land was taken from Rangitīkei to Kāpiti, where a large number of pā
were built and subtribes established. This brought the new settlers into conflicts with established tangata whenua in the southern parts of the North Island.
, 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.
Presently, Ngāti Raukawa have established a large number of marae
and other institutions, including Raukawa Marae and Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa, a centre for higher learning. Administrative organisations include the Raukawa Trust Board and Te Rūnanga o Raukawa.
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
with traditional bases in the Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
, Taupo
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
and Manawatū/Horowhenua regions of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa.
Early History
Ngāti Raukawa recognise Raukawa as their eponymous ancestor, who was descended from the settlers of the TainuiTainui
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...
canoe
Maori migration canoes
Various Māori traditions recount how their ancestors set out from their homeland in great ocean-going canoes . Some of these traditions name a mythical homeland called Hawaiki....
. One of his descendants was Maniapoto, ancestor of the Ngāti Maniapoto
Ngati Maniapoto
Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi 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 back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the waka Tainui...
iwi. Ngati Raukawa established their ancestral homeland in the Waikato region.
Southwards migration
In the early 19th century, significant numbers of Ngāti Raukawa were forced south during the Musket WarsMusket Wars
The Musket Wars were a series of five hundred or more battles mainly fought between various hapū , sometimes alliances of pan-hapū groups and less often larger iwi of Māori between 1807 and 1842, in New Zealand.Northern tribes such as the rivals Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua were the first to obtain...
. They joined Ngāti Toarangatira in a southwards migration through the North Island, which proceeded in three stages. Land was taken from Rangitīkei to Kāpiti, where a large number of pā
Pa (Maori)
The word pā can refer to any Māori village or settlement, but in traditional use it referred to hillforts fortified with palisades and defensive terraces and also to fortified villages. They first came into being about 1450. They are located mainly in the North Island north of lake Taupo...
were built and subtribes established. This brought the new settlers into conflicts with established tangata whenua in the southern parts of the North Island.
Ngati Raukawa today
The 20th century saw Ngāti Raukawa undergo great change. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many Ngāti Raukawa left their traditional lands and migrated to cities. Starting in 1975, a determined effort was made to revitalise traditional language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
and establishments.
Presently, Ngāti Raukawa have established a large number of marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
and other institutions, including Raukawa Marae and Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa, a centre for higher learning. Administrative organisations include the Raukawa Trust Board and Te Rūnanga o Raukawa.