Māori of New Zealand

Abstract

The Indigenous Peoples of Aotearoa1 New Zealand are made up of more than one hundred and twenty iwi or nations whose size ranges from between several hundred members for the small ones to over one hundred thousand for the largest. We identify ourselves according to our one or, more usually, several iwi affiliations and also according to our whānau (extended family) and our hapū (grouping of whānau). Hapū are the economic units in our society. Iwi are groupings of hapū who come together mainly for political purposes and their membership is usually determined by descent from a common ancestor. My main iwi affiliations are: Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa, and Ngāti Whātua of the northern regions of the country. Like all Māori, I have many other affiliations which I can call on as a result of genealogical connections ranging back over many centuries.