Te Ati Awa
Encyclopedia
Te Āti Awa is a Māori iwi
with traditional bases in the Taranaki and Wellington
regions of New Zealand
. Approximately 17,000 people registered their affiliation to Te Āti Awa in 2001, with around 10,000 in Taranaki, 2,000 in Wellington and around 5,000 of unspecified regional location.
in the Taranaki region. Historical tapu in the Wellington region include the Hutt River
delta and Lowry Bay (Eastbourne
); plus Waikawa, Motueka
and Golden Bay
in the South Island.
, he was the product of a union between Rongoueroa and Tamarau, a spirit ancestor. Awanuiarangi is also an ancestor of Ngāti Awa
in the Bay of Plenty
. However, while Ngāti Awa trace their ancestry to the Mataatua
canoe
, Te Āti Awa trace their origins to the Tokomaru canoe
.
In several North Island
traditions, Awanuiarangi originally settled in the Northland region, but migrated southwards with his people following disputes with other northern iwi. Some migrants settled in the Bay of Plenty, some of whom gave rise to the Ngāti Awa iwi. Others settled in Taranaki, some of whom formed Te Āti Awa.
, Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki iwi joined forces with Ngā Puhi. Armed with muskets, Te Ati Awa forces battled the Waikato iwi. Despite a decisive victory at Motunui in 1822, the Waikato forces eventually threatened to overtake Taranaki. This precipitated the first of four major migrations southwards.
European settlements began to encroach on ancestral Taranaki lands in 1841. This led to a migration of some Wellington Te Āti Awa back to Taranaki in 1848, led by Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke
, who opposed the sale of tribal lands to European settlers. Conflicts over land sales arose between various sub-tribes and with European settlers. In 1860, Kīngi refused an ultimatum from Crown troops to vacate his land, after it was offered to the Crown by another chief. Such action led to the first shots of the New Zealand Land Wars
.
In 2004, the New Plymouth District Council resolved to sell 146 ha of land at Waitara to the Crown on condition that it was used in settlement of Te Atiawa claims under the Treaty of Waitangi. Leaseholders mounted unsuccessful legal opposition in 2008 and 2011.
over disputed land ownership purchases from 1839, and the Tribunal issued its findings on these claims in 2003, along with those of other iwi in the Wellington region. The Crown and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, a collective that comprises people from Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki iwi whose ancestors migrated to Wellington, signed a Deed of Settlement in 2008 which settled those claims.
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 Taranaki and Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
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...
. Approximately 17,000 people registered their affiliation to Te Āti Awa in 2001, with around 10,000 in Taranaki, 2,000 in Wellington and around 5,000 of unspecified regional location.
Geographical landmarks
Te Āti Awa recognise Taranaki as their ancestral homeland. Mt Taranaki dominates the regional landscape, and many of the eight local iwi, including Te Āti Awa, regard it as sacred. The iwi also maintains a cultural association with the Waitara RiverWaitara River
The source of the Waitara River lies in the very steep hill country to the east of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, near Tahora. After proceeding in a southwesterly direction toward Central Taranaki, the river abruptly turns to flow in a northeasterly direction to the Tasman Sea: meeting it at the coastal...
in the Taranaki region. Historical tapu in the Wellington region include the Hutt River
Hutt River, New Zealand
thumb|300px|The Hutt River looking downstream.The Hutt River flows through the southern North Island of New Zealand...
delta and Lowry Bay (Eastbourne
Eastbourne, New Zealand
Eastbourne is a suburb of Lower Hutt city in the southern North Island of New Zealand. Its population is about 4,600.-Location:An outer suburb, it is situated on the eastern shore of Wellington Harbour, 5 kilometres south of the main Lower Hutt urban area, and directly across the harbour from the...
); plus Waikawa, Motueka
Motueka
The town of Motueka in the South Island of New Zealand lies close to the mouth of the Motueka River, on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is, after Nelson and Richmond, the third largest centre in the Tasman Region, with a population of 7125...
and Golden Bay
Golden Bay
Golden Bay lies at the edge of the junction between the Tasman Sea and Cook Strait. It stretches for 45 kilometres from the long sand spit of Farewell Spit in the north to Separation Point in Abel Tasman National Park at its southern extremity...
in the South Island.
Foundations
Awanuiarangi is recognised as the founding ancestor of Te Āti Awa. According to Te Āti Awa traditionsMaori mythology
Māori mythology and Māori traditions are the two major categories into which the legends of the Māori of New Zealand may usefully be divided...
, he was the product of a union between Rongoueroa and Tamarau, a spirit ancestor. Awanuiarangi is also an ancestor of Ngāti Awa
Ngati Awa
Ngāti Awa is a Māori iwi centred in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand.Ngāti Awa comprises 22 hapu , with 15,258 people claiming affiliation to the iwi in 2006. The Ngāti Awa people are primarily located in towns on the Rangitaiki Plain, including Whakatane, Kawerau, Edgecumbe, Te...
in the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
. However, while Ngāti Awa trace their ancestry to the Mataatua
Mataatua
In Māori tradition, Mataatua was one of the great voyaging canoes by which Polynesians migrated to New Zealand. Māori traditions say that the Mataatua was initially sent from Hawaiki to bring supplies of kūmara to Māori settlements in New Zealand...
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....
, Te Āti Awa trace their origins to the Tokomaru canoe
Tokomaru (canoe)
In Māori tradition, Tokomaru was one of the great ocean-going canoes that were used in the migrations that settled New Zealand. It was commanded by Manaia. His brother-in-law had originally owned the canoe. When Manaia's wife was raped by a group of men, he slew them, including the chief Tupenu...
.
In several North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
traditions, Awanuiarangi originally settled in the Northland region, but migrated southwards with his people following disputes with other northern iwi. Some migrants settled in the Bay of Plenty, some of whom gave rise to the Ngāti Awa iwi. Others settled in Taranaki, some of whom formed Te Āti Awa.
Warfare and Migration
The introduction of muskets to the Māori in the early 19th century saw a marked increase in tribal war campaigns. In 1819, Ngā Puhi began a campaign of conquest throughout the North Island, newly equipped with European firearms. Partly due to tensions with northern Waikato iwiTainui
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...
, Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki iwi joined forces with Ngā Puhi. Armed with muskets, Te Ati Awa forces battled the Waikato iwi. Despite a decisive victory at Motunui in 1822, the Waikato forces eventually threatened to overtake Taranaki. This precipitated the first of four major migrations southwards.
- Te Heke Tātaramoa. The first migration from Taranaki comprised people from Ngāti ToaNgati ToaNgāti Toa , an iwi , traces its descent from the eponymous ancestor Toarangatira. The Ngāti Toa region extends from Miria-te-kakara at Rangitikei to Wellington, and across Cook Strait to Wairau and Nelson....
, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti MutungaNgati MutungaNgāti Mutunga is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. Their tribal lands are in north Taranaki, with the principal marae being at Urenui.Prominent leader and anthropologist Te Rangi Hīroa was of Ngāti Mutunga descent.-External links:*...
and Te Āti Awa, all fleeing the potential threat of the Waikato forces. This first group migrated to the Kāpiti Coast. - Te Heke Nihoputa. A second migration from Taranaki occurred around 1824, including Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama and Te Āti Awa. These travellers settled in the area around Wellington HarbourWellington HarbourWellington Harbour is the large natural harbour at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is on the western side of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current name in the 1980s.In Māori the harbour is...
. In Wellington traditions, Rongoueroa married Ruarangi, son of noted Polynesian explorer ToiToi (name)Toi is a fairly common man's name in Māori and other Polynesian languages.The best known men named Toi are the following from Māori legendary history, who are sometimes confused with one another:...
. Her grandson was Tara, who lent his name to the area of Wellington Harbour, which became Te Whanganui-a-Tara ("the great harbour of Tara"). - Te Heke Tamateuaua. In retaliation for the defeat at Motunui, Waikato and Ngāti ManiapotoNgati ManiapotoNgāti 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...
forces combined and invaded the Taranaki region, eventually reaching the Ngāmotu people of Te Āti Awa. In 1832, considerable numbers of Ngāmotu moved south to Wellington, joined by some Ngāti Tama, settling at PetonePetonePetone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
with a hapu of Ngāti Mutunga, who arrived from a previous migration. In gratitude for avenging the death of one of their leaders, Ngāti Mutunga gifted the area around the Hutt River delta and Lowry Bay to the Ngāmotu people. - Te Heke Paukena and the Kūititanga Battle. A fourth migration from Taranaki also took place in 1834, after a battle with Ngāti Toa. This preceded the breakdown of relations between tribal settlements on the Kāpiti Coast, and in 1835, Ngāti Mutunga and sections of Ngāti Tama transferred control of their lands to Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki tribes. In 1839, Ngāti Raukawa, who were fairly recent arrivals to the Wellington region, attacked Te Āti Awa settlements along Wellington Harbour, with support from Ngāti Toa.
Arrival of European Settlers
In that same year, newly arrived English settlers brought increased demand for land around the Wellington area. Land was initially bought from local Māori tribes; some of these land purchases would later come into dispute. A later practice saw deeds obtained from local Māori tribes allowing for the reservation of 'tenths' of land for Māori use, or in exchange for land elsewhere.European settlements began to encroach on ancestral Taranaki lands in 1841. This led to a migration of some Wellington Te Āti Awa back to Taranaki in 1848, led by Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke
Wiremu Kingi
Wiremu Kingi Te Rangitake , Māori Chief of the Te Āti Awa Tribe, was leader of the Māori forces in the First Taranaki War....
, who opposed the sale of tribal lands to European settlers. Conflicts over land sales arose between various sub-tribes and with European settlers. In 1860, Kīngi refused an ultimatum from Crown troops to vacate his land, after it was offered to the Crown by another chief. Such action led to the first shots of the New Zealand Land Wars
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
.
Land wars
Te Āti Awa in Taranaki received widespread support from other Māori in their battle with the Crown, but were ultimately defeated. Under the 1863 New Zealand Settlements Act and the 1863 Suppression of Rebellion Act, Te Āti Awa were branded 'rebels' and the Crown confiscated 68,500 hectares of Te Āti Awa land in Taranaki. This severely undermined the political and social structures of the iwi.Government redress
The 20th century saw several attempts by the New Zealand Government to redress past actions towards Te Āti Awa. This included recommendations for a settlement monetary sum; a figure was eventually reached by the Government, but without consultation with Taranaki tribes. The Taranaki Maori Claims Act of 1944 also indicated an early full settlement between the Crown and local tribes, but this was disputed by various Taranaki iwi. The Waitangi Tribunal reported on Taranaki claims in 1996.Taranaki Claims
Te Āti Awa in Taranaki and the Crown signed a Heads of Agreement in 1999, which sets out a broad agreement in anticipation of developing a formal, legally binding Deed of Settlement. The Heads of Agreement indicates a public apology for land confiscations in Taranaki, recognition of cultural associations with sacred geographical landmarks and land areas, restoration of tribal access to traditional food gathering areas, monetary compensation totalling NZ$34 million and commercial redress for economic loss due to land confiscation. The Agreement covers claims made by Te Āti Awa in Taranaki.In 2004, the New Plymouth District Council resolved to sell 146 ha of land at Waitara to the Crown on condition that it was used in settlement of Te Atiawa claims under the Treaty of Waitangi. Leaseholders mounted unsuccessful legal opposition in 2008 and 2011.
Wellington Claims
In 1977, the Wellington Tenths Trust was established, representing Te Āti Awa land owners in Wellington. The Trust lodged claims with the Waitangi TribunalWaitangi Tribunal
The Waitangi Tribunal is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975...
over disputed land ownership purchases from 1839, and the Tribunal issued its findings on these claims in 2003, along with those of other iwi in the Wellington region. The Crown and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, a collective that comprises people from Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki iwi whose ancestors migrated to Wellington, signed a Deed of Settlement in 2008 which settled those claims.
Te Āti Awa today
Te Āti Awa in Taranaki and Wellington maintain strong connections with each other; close ties are also maintained with distantly related Ngāti Awa. As an iwi, Te Āti Awa continue to seek redress for past injustices. Organisations are established in Taranaki and Wellington that represent the political and economic interests of the iwi.Famous Te Āti Awa
- Wiremu KingiWiremu KingiWiremu Kingi Te Rangitake , Māori Chief of the Te Āti Awa Tribe, was leader of the Māori forces in the First Taranaki War....
- Sir Paul ReevesPaul ReevesSir Paul Alfred Reeves, ONZ, GCMG, GCVO, CF, QSO was Archbishop and Primate of New Zealand from 1980 to 1985 and the 15th Governor-General of New Zealand from 22 November 1985 to 20 November 1990...
- Sir Ngatata LoveNgatata LoveSir Ralph Herberley "Ngatata" Love, GNZM, QSO, JP, is a New Zealand Treaty of Waitangi negotiator, academic and Māori leader. Love is a Professor of Business Development at Victoria University of Wellington's Victoria Management School....
- Sir Ralph LoveRalph LoveSir Makere Rangiatea "Ralph" Love, QSO, JP was a Māori public servant and leader of Te Āti Awa.He was born at Homebush on Arapawa Island, Queen Charlotte Sound...
- Tohu KakahiTohu KakahiTohu Kakahi was a Māori leader and prophet at Parihaka, who along with Te Whiti o Rongomai organised passive resistance against the occupation of Taranaki in the 1870s in New Zealand....
- Te Whiti o RongomaiTe Whiti o RongomaiTe Whiti o Rongomai III was a Māori spiritual leader and founder of the village of Parihaka, in New Zealand's Taranaki region.-Biography:...
- Luke McAlisterLuke McAlisterCharles Luke McAlister is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays first five-eighths and second five-eighths ....