Ngati Porou
Encyclopedia
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi
traditionally located in the East Cape
and Gisborne
regions of the North Island
of New Zealand
. Ngāti Porou has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zealand, with 71,910 registered members in 2006. The traditional tribal boundary of Ngāti Porou extends from Pōtikirua in the north to Te Toka-a-Taiau (a rock that used to sit in the mouth of Gisborne harbour) in the south.
features prominently in Ngāti Porou traditions
as a symbol of endurance and strength, and holds tapu status. In these traditions, Hikurangi is often personified. Ngāti Porou traditions indicate that Hikurangi was the first point to surface when Māui
fished up the North Island from beneath the ocean. His canoe, the Nuku-tai-memeha
, is said to have been wrecked there. The Waiapu River
also features in Ngāti Porou traditions.
, who is also regarded as a prominent ancestor of Ngāti Porou. Others include Maui, accredited in oral tradition with raising the North Island from the sea, and Paikea
, the whale rider. Although Ngāti Porou claim the Nukutaimemeha as their foundation canoe
, many Ngāti Porou ancestors arrived on different canoes, including Horouta
, Tākitimu
and Tereanini. The descendants of Porourangi and Toi formed groups that spread across the East Cape through conquest and strategic marriage alliances.
Associations with other iwi also arise through direct descent from Ngāti Porou ancestors:
to the region, which led to a period of relative calm and cultural development. Ngāti Porou chiefs were also signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi
in 1840. Ngāti Porou experienced substantial economic growth during the 1850s.
religious movement spread through the North Island, and eventually came into conflict with the New Zealand Government. From 1865–1870, a civil war emerged within Ngāti Porou, between Hauhau converts seeking the creation of an independent Māori state (supported by Hauhau from other regions) and other Ngāti Porou advocating tribal sovereignty and independence. This conflict is generally viewed as part of the East Cape War
. During this conflict, the New Zealand Government provided arms support to Ngāti Porou opposing the Hauhau movement. After the war, the New Zealand Government initially attempted to confiscate land due to the presence of "rebellious factions". However, the Government acquiesced that the conflict was an internal matter, noting that Ngāti Porou were now heavily armed.
, who contributed greatly to the revitalisation of the Māori people. During the early 20th century, the population of Ngāti Porou increase substantially, and was active in its participation in both World Wars. But from the end of World War II
, large numbers of Ngāti Porou began emigrating from traditional tribal lands and moving into larger urban areas, in a trend reflected throughout New Zealand. A large portion of the tribal population now lives in Auckland
and Wellington
.
,Herewaka Te-Rangi-Pai Potae, George Nepia
, Quentin Bruce (Goldsmith) Koromete, Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngarimu
VC, Witi Ihimaera
, Parekura Horomia
, John Tamihere
, Moana Jackson
, Sofia Minson
(artist), Wiremu Paraone Turei (the Anglican Bishop of Aotearoa
) , Georgina Beyer
, Michael Hollis, James 'Jimmy' Mill
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,...
traditionally located in the East Cape
East Cape
East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is located to the north of Gisborne in the northeast of the North Island....
and Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
regions of the 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...
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...
. Ngāti Porou has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zealand, with 71,910 registered members in 2006. The traditional tribal boundary of Ngāti Porou extends from Pōtikirua in the north to Te Toka-a-Taiau (a rock that used to sit in the mouth of Gisborne harbour) in the south.
Geographical landmarks
Mt HikurangiMount Hikurangi, Gisborne
Mount Hikurangi is a 1754 metre peak in the northeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island, southwest of East Cape...
features prominently in Ngāti Porou traditions
Maori 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...
as a symbol of endurance and strength, and holds tapu status. In these traditions, Hikurangi is often personified. Ngāti Porou traditions indicate that Hikurangi was the first point to surface when Māui
Maui (Maori mythology)
In Māori mythology, Māui is a culture hero famous for his exploits and his trickery.-Māui's birth:The offspring of Tū increased and multiplied and did not know death until the generation of Māui-tikitiki . Māui is the son of Taranga, the wife of Makeatutara...
fished up the North Island from beneath the ocean. His canoe, the Nuku-tai-memeha
Nuku-tai-memeha
In Māori tradition, Nuku-tai-memeha was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand....
, is said to have been wrecked there. The Waiapu River
Waiapu River
The Waiapu River is a 90-kilometre long river of the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Flowing from the Raukumara Range, it passes through Ruatoria before reaching the Pacific Ocean at Rangitukia...
also features in Ngāti Porou traditions.
Early history
Ngāti Porou takes its name from the ancestor Porourangi. He was a direct descendant of Toi-kai-rākauToi (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:...
, who is also regarded as a prominent ancestor of Ngāti Porou. Others include Maui, accredited in oral tradition with raising the North Island from the sea, and Paikea
Paikea
According to Māori tradition, Paikea is an ancestor of Ngāti Porou, a Māori tribe of the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. Paikea is the name assumed by Kahutia-te-rangi because he was assisted by humpback whales to survive an attempt on his life by his half-brother Ruatapu.-Ruatapu is...
, the whale rider. Although Ngāti Porou claim the Nukutaimemeha as their foundation canoe
Waka (canoe)
Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long...
, many Ngāti Porou ancestors arrived on different canoes, including Horouta
Horouta
In Māori tradition, the canoe Horouta belonged to Toi. The story goes that Kahukura, a man from Hawaiki, introduced kūmara , to the locals who had never had anything like it before. In order to obtain more kūmara back in Hawaiki Toi gave the canoe to Kahukura...
, Tākitimu
Takitimu
In several Māori traditions, the Tākitimu was one of the great Māori migration canoes that brought Polynesian migrants to New Zealand from Hawaiki. It was one of the seven canoes in the "Great Fleet hypothesis" proposed by historian Stephenson Percy Smith .-Māori Traditions:The Tākitimu appears in...
and Tereanini. The descendants of Porourangi and Toi formed groups that spread across the East Cape through conquest and strategic marriage alliances.
Associations with other iwi also arise through direct descent from Ngāti Porou ancestors:
- Kahungunu, descending from Ueroa, second son of Porourangi, is the founding ancestor of Ngāti KahungunuNgati KahungunuNgāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke’s Bay and Tararua and Wairārapa regions....
, who occupy the region south of the Ngāti Porou tribal boundaries. - Taua, descended from Kahungunu, is a prominent ancestor in Te Whānau-ā-ApanuiTe Whanau-a-ApanuiTe Whānau-ā-Apanui is a Māori iwi located in the eastern Bay of Plenty and East Coast regions of New Zealand's North Island. In 2006, the iwi registered 11,808 members, representing 13 hapu.-Early history:Apanui Ringamutu is the founding ancestor of the iwi...
genealogy. - Ngāti RaukawaNgati RaukawaNgāti 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.- Early History :...
and the TainuiTainuiTainui 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...
iwi have association through Rongomaianiwaniwa, daughter of Porourangi, and the marriage of the ancestress Māhinaarangi to Tūrongo. - Ngai TahuNgai TahuNgāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori iwi of the southern region of New Zealand, with the tribal authority, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, being based in Christchurch and Invercargill. The iwi combines three groups, Kāi Tahu itself, and Waitaha and Kāti Mamoe who lived in the South Island prior...
traditions also indicate descent from both Porourangi and Tahupōtiki, younger-brother to the latter.
19th century history
The early 19th century saw Ngāti Porou in conflict with Ngā Puhi during the latter's campaign of warfare throughout the North Island. This period also saw the introduction of ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to the region, which led to a period of relative calm and cultural development. Ngāti Porou chiefs were also signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
in 1840. Ngāti Porou experienced substantial economic growth during the 1850s.
The Hauhau Conflict
During the 1860s, the HauhauHauhau
Hauhau is a Māori term that was applied to a branch of the religious movement Pai Marire, founded by Te Ua Haumēne of the Taranaki tribe in New Zealand in the 1860s. The movement inculcated that Māori would regain land that they had lost to Europeans during the colonisation process of New...
religious movement spread through the North Island, and eventually came into conflict with the New Zealand Government. From 1865–1870, a civil war emerged within Ngāti Porou, between Hauhau converts seeking the creation of an independent Māori state (supported by Hauhau from other regions) and other Ngāti Porou advocating tribal sovereignty and independence. This conflict is generally viewed as part of the East Cape War
East Cape War
The East Cape War, sometimes also called the East Coast War, refers to a series of conflicts that were fought in the North Island of New Zealand from about 13 April 1865 to June 1868...
. During this conflict, the New Zealand Government provided arms support to Ngāti Porou opposing the Hauhau movement. After the war, the New Zealand Government initially attempted to confiscate land due to the presence of "rebellious factions". However, the Government acquiesced that the conflict was an internal matter, noting that Ngāti Porou were now heavily armed.
Modern history
Ngāti Porou once again enjoyed peace and economic prosperity during the late 19th century. The 1890s saw the emergence of Sir Āpirana NgataApirana Ngata
Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand politician and lawyer. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have ever served in Parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language.-Early life:One of 15 children, Ngata...
, who contributed greatly to the revitalisation of the Māori people. During the early 20th century, the population of Ngāti Porou increase substantially, and was active in its participation in both World Wars. But from the end of World War II
World 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...
, large numbers of Ngāti Porou began emigrating from traditional tribal lands and moving into larger urban areas, in a trend reflected throughout New Zealand. A large portion of the tribal population now lives in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
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...
.
Administration
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou, established in 1987, is the tribal authority for the iwi. The Rūnanga aims to maintain the financial, physical and spiritual assets of Ngāti Porou. It is organised into three branches: Whanau Hapu Development, Economic Development and Corporate Services.Well-known Ngati Porou
Well-known current or former members or affiliates of the tribe include Sir Āpirana NgataApirana Ngata
Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand politician and lawyer. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have ever served in Parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language.-Early life:One of 15 children, Ngata...
,Herewaka Te-Rangi-Pai Potae, George Nepia
George Nepia
George Nepia was a Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004 he was selected as number 65 by the panel of the New Zealand's Top...
, Quentin Bruce (Goldsmith) Koromete, Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngarimu
Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu
Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu VC was a New Zealand soldier and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross. A Māori of Ngati Porou and Te Whanau-a-Apanui descent, he grew up in Ruatoria, where he attended Hiruharama School.-Details:...
VC, Witi Ihimaera
Witi Ihimaera
Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler, DCNZM, QSM , generally known as Witi Ihimaera , is a New Zealand author, and is often regarded as one of the most prominent Māori writers alive.-Biography:...
, Parekura Horomia
Parekura Horomia
Parekura Tureia Horomia is a New Zealand Labour Party past Minister of Māori Affairs-Early life:Horomia was born in Tolaga Bay of Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga Hauiti, Ngati Kahungunu and Ngai Tahu descent....
, John Tamihere
John Tamihere
John Henry Tamihere is a New Zealand media personality and former politician. He served as a Cabinet minister in the governing Labour Party from August 2002 to 3 November 2004.-Early life:...
, Moana Jackson
Moana Jackson
Moana Jackson is a New Zealand Māori lawyer specialising in Treaty of Waitangi and constitutional issues. Moana Jackson is of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou descent...
, Sofia Minson
Sofia Minson
Sofia Minson is a contemporary New Zealand oil painter of Māori , Swedish, English and Irish descent. She was born in Auckland, New Zealand and spent her childhood living in Samoa, New Zealand, China and Sri Lanka due to her father's engineering project management work...
(artist), Wiremu Paraone Turei (the Anglican Bishop of Aotearoa
Bishop of Aotearoa
The Bishop of Aotearoa is a bishop in the Anglican Church of New Zealand.-List of holders:#The Rt. Rev. Frederick Augustus Bennett - first Māori people Bishop in the Anglican Communion#The Rt. Rev. Wiremu Netana Panapa...
) , Georgina Beyer
Georgina Beyer
Georgina Beyer was the world's first openly transsexual mayor, as well as the world's first openly transsexual Member of Parliament, and from 27 November 1999 until 14 February 2007 was an MP for the Labour Party in New Zealand.-Early life:Georgina Bertrand was born and assigned male at birth, and...
, Michael Hollis, James 'Jimmy' Mill