| Ngāti Whātua | |
|---|---|
| Iwi (tribe) inMāoridom | |
 Lower Northland Peninsula | |
 | |
| Rohe (region) | Northland and Auckland |
| Waka (canoe) | Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi |
| Website | www |
Ngāti Whātua is aMāoriiwi (tribe) of the lowerNorthland Peninsula of New Zealand'sNorth Island.[1] It comprises a confederation of fivehapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time:Te Uri-o-Hau,Te Roroa,Te Taoū,Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara andNgāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei. The five hapū can act together or separately as independent tribes.[2][3][4]
Ngāti Whātua's territory orrohe is traditionally expressed as, "Tāmaki ki Maunganui i te Tai Hauauru" and "Tāmaki ki Manaia i te Rawhiti". The northern boundary is expressed as, "Manaia titiro ki Whatitiri, Whatitiri titiro ki Tutamoe, Tutamoe titiro ki Maunganui". The southern boundary is expressed as, "Te awa o Tāmaki". The area runs fromTāmaki River in the south toMaunganui Bluff (at the northern end ofAranga Beach on the west coast) in the north, and toWhangarei Harbour on the east coast. By the time of European settlement in New Zealand, Ngāti Whātua's territory was around theKaipara Harbour and stretching south toTāmaki Makaurau, the site of present-day Auckland.[2]
Ngāti Whātua descends from the ancestor Tuputupuwhenua (also known as Tumutumuwhenua). The iwi traces its arrival in New Zealand to theMāhuhu-ki-te-rangi canoe, which landed north of the Kaipara Harbour. They also descend from ancestors who migrated fromMuriwhenua in theFar North and intermarried with the tribes in Ngāti Whātua's territory.[3] By the 16th and 17th century, Ngāti Whātua had become established around theKaipara Harbour.[5]
Rivalry withNgāpuhi escalated in the early 19th century when Ngāpuhi acquiredmuskets. Ngāpuhi attacked Ngāti Whātua in 1807 or 1808 in thebattle of Moremonui north ofDargaville – probably the occasion of the first use of firearms in Māori warfare. Ngāti Whātua overcame the Ngāpuhi warriors with hand weapons while Ngāpuhi were reloading their muskets, winning a decisive victory over the attackers. Ngāpuhi, led byHongi Hika, exacted revenge in 1825 when they defeated Ngāti Whātua in the battle ofTe Ika a Ranganui nearKaiwaka.
On 20 March 1840 in theManukau Harbour area where Ngāti Whātua farmed,paramount chiefApihai Te Kawau signedTe Tiriti o Waitangi, theTreaty of Waitangi.[6] Ngāti Whātua sought British protection fromNgāpuhi as well as a reciprocal relationship with theCrown and theChurch. Soon after signing the Treaty, Te Kawau offered land on theWaitematā Harbour toWilliam Hobson, the new Governor of New Zealand, for his newcapital.[7][8][9][10] Hobson took up the offer and moved the capital of New Zealand toTāmaki Makaurau, naming the settlementAuckland.
Ngāti Whātua came to national prominence in the 1970s in a dispute over vacant land atBastion Point, a little way east of the Auckland city centre, adjoining the suburb ofŌrākei. The land, which the New Zealand government had acquired cheaply for public works many decades before, largely reverted to the tribe after a long occupation and passive resistance.[11][12]
Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua has a mandate, recognised by theNew Zealand Government, to negotiateTreaty of Waitangi settlements for Ngāti Whatua. It is also a mandated iwi organisation under the Māori Fisheries Act, and an Iwi Aquaculture Organisation in the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act. It represents Ngāti Whatua as an iwi authority under theResource Management Act and is aTūhono organisation.
The Runanga is a Māori Trust Board governed by 11 trustees from 5 takiwā or districts: 1 trustee from Ōrākei, 2 from South Kaipara, 3 from Otamatea, 1 from Whangarei and 4 from Northern Wairoa.[1] As of 2022, the co-chairpersons of the trust are Allan Pivac and Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish DNZM. JP, the Manahautū is Alan Riwaka, and the trust is based in Whangarei.[13]
The iwi has interest in the territory ofNorthland Regional Council,Auckland Council,Kaipara District Council andWhangarei District Council.[1]
The Whangarei district has four hapū (sub-tribes):
Ake 1179 is the official radio station of Ngāti Whātua, but is not officially part of theiwi radio network.[14] It broadcasts on1179AM inAuckland, and features a combination ofurban contemporary music and traditional storytelling.[15]
