Waikato Tainui


Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of Māori iwi based in the Waikato Region, in the western central region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the larger Tainui confederation of Polynesian settlers who arrived to New Zealand on the Tainui waka. The tribe is named after the Waikato River, which plays a large part in its history and culture.
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, the first Māori king, was a member of the Ngāti Mahuta hapu of Waikato iwi, and his descendants have succeeded him. The king movement is based at Tūrangawaewae marae in Ngāruawāhia.
The Waikato-Tainui iwi comprises 33 hapū and 68 marae, with a population of over 80,000 tribal members who affiliate to it. In the 2023 New Zealand census, 47,664 people gave Waikato as an affiliation. Hamilton City is now the tribe's largest population centre, but Ngāruawāhia remains its historical centre and modern capital.

Government

Waikato-Tainui's governing parliamentary body is Te Kauhanganui, a governing body of 204 tribal members – 3 members from each of the 68 marae. The marae are spread over a large area from Te Kūiti and Cambridge in the south to Auckland in the north.
The executive board is Te Arataura, which has 10 representatives elected from Te Kauhanganui and an 11th member appointed by the Māori king. The Waikato-Tainui tribal administration is the Waikato Raupatu Trustee Company Ltd, which replaced the Tainui Māori Trust Board, and is situated at Hopuhopu, Ngāruawāhia.
The Waikato iwi has been using the name Tainui to describe itself for some time, through the establishment of the Tainui Māori Trust Board by the Waikato-Maniapoto Maori Claims [Settlement Act 1946], with many people now referring to the Waikato iwi as "Tainui" or "Waikato-Tainui".
There have traditionally been strong links between Tainui and the University of Waikato, which has strengths in Māori language and modern local history. The university also holds documents and objects related to the tribe.

Hapū and marae

Waikato Tainui is made up of several iwi and hapū.
Each tribal group has marae, which usually includes a wharenui.

Ngāti Mahuta

The hāpu of Ngāti Mahuta is associated with 20 marae:

Ngāti Hikairo

The iwi of Ngāti Hikairo is associated with 4 marae:

Ngāti Te Wehi

The iwi of Ngāti Te Wehi is associated with 11 marae:

Ngāti Kuiaarangi, Ngāti Tai and Ngāti Whāwhākia

The hapū of Ngāti Tai, Ngāti Kuiaarangi and Ngāti Whāwhākia are associated with 8 marae:

Tainui

The hapū of Tainui is associated with 7 marae:

Ngāti Tāhinga

The hapū of Ngāti Tāhinga is associated with 6 marae:
  • 2 marae in Port Waikato: Ngāti Tāhinga marae and Pakau marae
  • 4 marae west of Huntly: Pukerewa, Te Ākau, Te Poho o Tanikena and Weraroa

Ngāti Apakura

The hapū of Ngāti Apakura is associated with 6 marae:

Ngāti Tiipa and Ngāti Āmaru

The hāpu of Ngāti Tiipa and Ngāti Āmaru are associated with 6 marae:
  • 2 marae in Tuakau: Ngā Tai e Rua marae and Tauranganui marae
  • 4 marae at Port Waikato: Pakau marae, Te Awamārahi marae, Te Kotahitanga marae and Tikirahi marae

Ngāti Hauā

The hāpu of Ngāti Hauā is associated with 5 marae:

Ngāti Korokī and Ngāti Raukawa

The hapū of Ngāti Korokī and Ngāti Raukawa are associated with 5 marae:
  • 2 marae south-east of Te Awamutu: Rāwhitiroa marae in Parawera and Aotearoa marae in Wharepapa South
  • 2 marae near Lake Karapiro: Maungatautari marae in Maungatautari and Pōhara marae in Arapuni
  • 1 marae near Tokoroa: Ngātira marae in Kinleith

Ngāti Māhanga and Ngāti Tamainupō

The hapū of Ngāti Māhanga and Ngāti Tamainupō are associated with 4 marae:

Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Koheriki, and Ngāti Tamaoho

The hapū of Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Koheriki, and Ngāti Tamaoho are associated with 5 marae:

Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Naho and Ngāti Pou

The hapū of Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Naho and Ngāti Pou are associated with 4 marae:
  • Waikare marae at Te Kauwhata
  • Horahora marae at Rangiriri
  • Matahuru Papakainga marae at Ohinewai
  • Maurea marae at Te Ōhakī

Ngāti Te Ata and Ngāti Paretaua

The hapū of Ngāti Te Ata and Ngāti Paretaua are associated with 4 marae:
  • 2 marae in Waiuku: Reretēwhioi marae and Tāhuna marae

Ngāti Taratikitiki

The hapū of Ngāti Te Ata and Ngāti Paretaua are associated with 4 marae:
  • 1 marae in Te Kauwhata: Waikare marae
  • 1 marae in Rangiriri: Horahora marae
  • 2 marae east of Huntly: Maurea marae and Te Poho o Tanikena marae

Ngāti Makirangi

The hapū of Ngāti Makirangi has no marae of its own, but is associated with 4 marae:

Ngaati Wairere

Ngaati Wairere is associated with 2 marae:

Other hapū

  • Ngāti Ngutu, based at Mangatoatoa marae in Te Awamutu and Rākaunui marae near Kawhia
  • Ngāti Paretekawa, based at Mangatoatoa marae in Te Awamutu and Rākaunui marae in Hauturu
  • Ngāti Pātupō
  • Ngāti Puhiawe, based at Waipapa marae in Kawhia
  • Ngāti Ruru, based at Pārāwera marae near Te Awamutu
  • Ngāti Werokoko, based at Pārāwera marae near Te Awamutu
  • Te Ākitai Waiohua, based at Makaurau marae in Mangere