Ngati Ruanui
Encyclopedia
Ngāti Ruanui is a Māori iwi
traditionally based in the Taranaki region of New Zealand
. In the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the traditional areas of the iwi.
canoe
, while Tāneroroa was the daughter of Turi
, who came to New Zealand on the Aotea
canoe. Turi originally landed in Aotea Harbour
, but eventually settled along the Pātea River. Over time, Ruanui’s descendants spread across south Taranaki.
during the 19th century. In 1816, the iwi was invaded from the north by Nga Puhi warriors carrying muskets. Over the next few decades, Ngati Ruanui would come under attack by Ngāti Toa
, Ngāti Whātua
and the Waikato tribes
. Ngāti Ruanui had no defence against the invaders armed with muskets, and many Ngāti Ruanui people were captured as slaves. Others were simply displaced by continuing warfare.
provided a stable economy. Ngāti Ruanui workers were employed as labourers in New Plymouth
. Education
and Christianity
were eagerly embraced.
Ngāti Ruanui were wary of European settlers and their desire for more land. In 1860, when Te Āti Awa
engaged in battle with the British Crown, Ngāti Ruanui sent fighters to support them. In retaliation, in 1865 and 1866 Crown troops invaded south Taranaki, destroying fortifications and villages. In 1868, notable resistance was provided by the tribal leader Tītokowaru
against Crown troops approaching from the south. Amongst New Plymouth
settlers the iwi was known as 'Ngati Ruin-Ruin Us' for the effectiveness of their attacks. But within a few years, Ngāti Ruanui had lost most of its land, displacing more Māori from their traditional lands.
determined that the Crown had acted unfairly in its conflict with Ngāti Ruanui. A settlement between the New Zealand Government and Ngāti Ruanui was reached in 2001, which was passed into law in 2003. In summary:
manages the assets of the iwi, and represents the iwi in political consultations with the New Zealand Government.
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 based in the Taranaki region 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 the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the traditional areas of the iwi.
Early history
Ruanui is acknowledged as the eponymous ancestor of the iwi. He was the son of Uenuku-puanake and Tāneroroa. Uenuku came from the TākitimuTakitimu
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...
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....
, while Tāneroroa was the daughter of Turi
Turi (Maori ancestor)
Turi, according to Māori tradition, was the captain of the Aotea canoe and an important ancestor for many Māori iwi, particularly in the Taranaki region.-Arrival in New Zealand:...
, who came to New Zealand on the Aotea
Aotea (canoe)
In Māori tradition, Aotea is one of the canoes by which Māori migrated to New Zealand; it is particularly associated with the tribes of Taranaki and Whanganui, including Ngāti Ruanui and other tribal groups. Aotea was a double canoe built by Toto from half of a great tree from Hawaiki, the other...
canoe. Turi originally landed in Aotea Harbour
Aotea Harbour
Aotea Harbour is one of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located between Raglan Harbour to the north and Kawhia Harbour to the south, 30 kilometres southwest of Hamilton....
, but eventually settled along the Pātea River. Over time, Ruanui’s descendants spread across south Taranaki.
Musket Wars
Ngāti Ruanui was heavily involved in tribal 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...
during the 19th century. In 1816, the iwi was invaded from the north by Nga Puhi warriors carrying muskets. Over the next few decades, Ngati Ruanui would come under attack by Ngāti Toa
Ngati Toa
Ngāti 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 Whātua
Ngati Whatua
Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. It consists of four hapu : Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, Te Taoū, and Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei....
and the Waikato tribes
Waikato (iwi)
Waikato is a Māori iwi from the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Actually a confederation of smaller tribes, it is also part of the larger confederation of Tainui, consisting of tribes descended from Polynesian migrants who arrived in New Zealand on the Tainui canoe...
. Ngāti Ruanui had no defence against the invaders armed with muskets, and many Ngāti Ruanui people were captured as slaves. Others were simply displaced by continuing warfare.
Early social development
Even amidst tribal warfare, Ngāti Ruanui managed to build a successful society. AgricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
provided a stable economy. Ngāti Ruanui workers were employed as labourers in New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
. Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
were eagerly embraced.
Land Wars
- Full article at New Zealand land warsNew Zealand land warsThe 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...
Ngāti Ruanui were wary of European settlers and their desire for more land. In 1860, when Te Āti Awa
Te Ati Awa
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.-Geographical...
engaged in battle with the British Crown, Ngāti Ruanui sent fighters to support them. In retaliation, in 1865 and 1866 Crown troops invaded south Taranaki, destroying fortifications and villages. In 1868, notable resistance was provided by the tribal leader Tītokowaru
Titokowaru
Riwha Titokowaru became a Māori leader in the Taranaki region and one of the most successful opponents of British colonisation anywhere....
against Crown troops approaching from the south. Amongst New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
settlers the iwi was known as 'Ngati Ruin-Ruin Us' for the effectiveness of their attacks. But within a few years, Ngāti Ruanui had lost most of its land, displacing more Māori from their traditional lands.
Deed of Settlement
In 1996, the Waitangi TribunalWaitangi Tribunal
The Waitangi Tribunal is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975...
determined that the Crown had acted unfairly in its conflict with Ngāti Ruanui. A settlement between the New Zealand Government and Ngāti Ruanui was reached in 2001, which was passed into law in 2003. In summary:
- The New Zealand Government issued a formal apology to Ngāti Ruanui for the actions of Crown troops during the Taranaki WarsSecond Taranaki War-Background and causes of the war:The conflict in Taranaki had its roots in the First Taranaki War, which had ended in March 1861 with an uneasy truce. Neither side fulfilled the terms of the truce, leaving many of the issues unresolved...
, and for subsequent land confiscation - The Government acknowledged cultural association of Ngāti Ruanui with geographical areas in Taranaki, and will consult with the iwi regarding relevant uses within designated areas
- Four areas of significance to Ngāti Ruanui, totalling approximately 10 hectares, were returned to the iwi.
Administration
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui is the governing body of the iwi. The RūnangaRunanga
Runanga may refer to:*Rūnanga, a traditional Māori assembly or tribal gathering.*Rūnanga, the governing council or administrative group of a Māori Hapu or Iwi*Rūnanga, a Maori translation of board of directors or council...
manages the assets of the iwi, and represents the iwi in political consultations with the New Zealand Government.