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Ngāti Rongomaiwahine
Māori iwi in New Zealand / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ngāti Rongomaiwahine or Rongomaiwahine is a Māori iwi (tribe) traditionally centred in the Māhia Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand.[2] In the 2006 census, 4,254 people identified as Rongomaiwahine;[3] by the 2013 census, this has increased to 4,473 people.[1] It is closely connected to the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.[4][5]
Ngāti Rongomaiwahine | |
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Iwi (tribe) in Māoridom | |
![]() Māhia Peninsula from space | |
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Rohe (region) | Māhia Peninsula |
Waka (canoe) | Kurahaupō, Tākitimu |
Population | 4,473 (c. 2013)[1] |
Website | http://rongomaiwahine.iwi.nz/ |
The people of Rongomaiwahine are descended from a common ancestor, Rongomaiwahine. She was descended from Ruawharo, the tohunga (navigator) of the Tākitimu waka (Māori migration canoe), and Popoto, the commander of the Kurahaupō waka.
In Māori tradition, Rongomaiwahine was known to have had two husbands: Tamatakutai and Kahungunu. With Tamatakutai, she bore two daughters, Rapuaiterangi and Hinerauiri. With Kahungunu (well known as the eponymous ancestor of Ngāti Kahungunu) she had five children: Kahukuranui, Rongomaipapa, Tamateakota, Mahakinui and Tauheikuri.[5]
Historically, Rongomaiwahine have operated successful whaling stations. Today, fishing remains an important industry, along with the operation of sheep and cattle stations. Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust (RIT) is the administrative body of the iwi.[2][4]