Te Āti Awa
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| Te Āti Awa | |
| Iwi of New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Rohe (location) | Taranaki and Wellington |
| Waka (canoe) | Tokomaru, Aotea |
| Population | 17,000 |
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.
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[edit] Geographical Landmarks
Te Āti Awa recognises Taranaki as their ancestral homeland. Mt Taranaki dominates the regional landscape and is sacred to many of the eight local iwi, including Te Āti Awa. The iwi also maintains a cultural association with the Waitara River in the Taranaki region. Historical tapu in the Wellington region include the Hutt River delta and Lowry Bay.
[edit] History
[edit] Foundations
Awanuiarangi is recognised as the founding ancestor of Te Āti Awa. According to Te Āti Awa traditions, he was the product of a union between Rongoueroa and Tamarau, a spirit ancestor. Awanuiarangi is also an ancestor of Ngāti Awa in the Bay of Plenty. However, while Ngāti Awa trace their ancestry to the Mataatua canoe, Te Āti Awa trace their origins to the Tokomaru canoe.
In several North Island traditions, Awanuiarangi originally settled in the Northland region, but migrated southwards with his people following disputes with other northern iwi. Some migrants settled in the Bay of Plenty, some of whom gave rise to the Ngāti Awa iwi. Others settled in Taranaki, some of whom formed Te Āti Awa.
[edit] Warfare and Migration
The introduction of muskets to the Māori in the early 1800s saw a marked increase in tribal war campaigns. In 1819, Ngā Puhi began a campaign of conquest throughout the North Island, newly equipped with European firearms. Partly due to tensions with northern Waikato iwi, Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki iwi joined forces with Ngā Puhi. Armed with muskets, Te Ati Awa forces battled the Waikato iwi. Despite a decisive victory at Motunui in 1822, the Waikato forces eventually threatened to overtake Taranaki. This precipitated the first of four major migrations southwards.
- Te Heke Tātaramoa. The first migration from Taranaki comprised people from Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga and Te Āti Awa, all fleeing the potential threat of the Waikato forces. This first group migrated to the Kāpiti Coast.
- Te Heke Nihoputa. A second migration from Taranaki occurred around 1824, including Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama and Te Āti Awa. These travellers settled in the area around Wellington Harbour. In Wellington traditions, Rongoueroa married Ruarangi, son of noted Polynesian explorer Toi. Her grandson was Tara, who leant his name to the area of Wellington Harbour, which became Te Whanganui-a-Tara ("the great harbour of Tara").
- Te Heke Tamateuaua. In retaliation for the defeat at Motunui, Waikato and Ngāti Maniapoto forces combined and invaded the Taranaki region, eventually reaching the Ngāmotu people of Te Āti Awa. In 1832, considerable numbers of Ngāmotu moved south to Wellington, joined by some Ngāti Tama, settling at Petone with a hapu of Ngāti Mutunga, who arrived from a previous migration. In gratitude for avenging the death of one of their leaders, Ngāti Mutunga gifted the area around the Hutt River delta and Lowry Bay to the Ngāmotu people.
- Te Heke Paukena and the Kūititanga Battle. A fourth migration from Taranaki also took place in 1834, after a battle with Ngāti Toa. This preceded the breakdown of relations between tribal settlements on the Kāpiti Coast, and in 1835, Ngāti Mutunga and sections of Ngāti Tama transferred control of their lands to Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki tribes. In 1839, Ngāti Raukawa, who were fairly recent arrivals to the Wellington region, attacked Te Āti Awa settlements along Wellington Harbour, with support from Ngāti Toa.
[edit] Arrival of European Settlers
In that same year, newly arrived English settlers brought increased demand for land around the Wellington area. Land was initially bought from local Māori tribes; some of these land purchases would later come into dispute. A later practice saw deeds obtained from local Māori tribes allowing for the reservation of 'tenths' of land for Māori use, or in exchange for land elsewhere.
European settlements began to encroach on ancestral Taranaki lands in 1841. This led to a migration of some Wellington Te Āti Awa back to Taranaki in 1848, led by Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke, who opposed the sale of tribal lands to European settlers. Conflicts over land sales arose between various sub-tribes and with European settlers. In 1860, Kīngi refused an ultimatum from Crown troops to vacate his land, after it was offered to the Crown by another chief. Such action led to the first shots of the New Zealand Land Wars.
[edit] Land Wars
Te Āti Awa in Taranaki received widespread support from other Māori in their battle with the Crown, but were ultimately defeated. Under the 1863 New Zealand Settlements Act and the 1863 Suppression of Rebellion Act, Te Āti Awa were branded 'rebels' and the Crown confiscated 68,500 hectares of Te Āti Awa land in Taranaki. This severely undermined the political and social structures of the iwi.
[edit] Government Redress
The 20th century saw several attempts by the New Zealand Government to redress past actions towards Te Āti Awa. This included recommendations for a settlement monetary sum; a figure was eventually reached by the Government, but without consultation with Taranaki tribes. The Taranaki Maori Claims Act of 1944 also indicated an early full settlement between the Crown and local tribes, but this was disputed by various Taranaki iwi. Currently, negotiations between the New Zealand Government and Te Āti Awa in Taranaki are underway towards a Deed of Settlement.
In 1977, the Wellington Tenths Trust was established, representing Te Āti Awa land owners in Wellingtion. The Trust have lodged claims with the Waitangi Tribunal over disputed land ownership purchases from 1839.
[edit] Te Āti Awa today
Te Āti Awa in Taranaki and Wellington maintain strong connections with each other; close ties are also maintained with distantly related Ngāti Awa. As an iwi, Te Āti Awa continue to seek redress for past injustices. Organisations are established in Taranaki and Wellington that represent the political and economic interests of the iwi, although without the same legal standings as with representative bodies of several other iwi.
[edit] Heads of Agreement
Currently in negotiations, Te Āti Awa in Taranaki have reportedly reached a Heads of Agreement with the New Zealand Government, which will precede formal negotiations for a Deed of Settlement.[1] The current Heads of Agreement indicates a public apology for land confiscations in Taranaki, recognition of cultural associations with sacred geographical landmarks and land areas, restoration of tribal access to traditional food gathering areas, monetary compensation totalling NZ$34 million and commercial redress for economic loss due to land confiscation.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Heads of Agreement indicates that "All members of Te Atiawa (sic) (may benefit from the settlement) wherever they may live". The Agreement covers claims made by Te Āti Awa in Taranaki, so the impact this will have on Te Āti Awa in Wellington remains to be seen.
[edit] References
- Adds, Peter (2006-09-26). Te Āti Awa of Taranaki. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
- Heads of Agreement between the Crown and Te Atiawa. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
- Love, Morris (2006-12-21). Te Āti Awa of Wellington. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
