IWI and HAPU

There are many Maori tribes (iwi) and subtribes (hapu) throughout New Zealand who usually descend from a common ancestor.

The names of iwi and hapu generally begin with Nga ('the' plural); Te Uri O (the descendents of..., the offspring of...) Ngati or Ngai^[2] (people of...) - followed by name of the ancestor.

The local iwi within a region are referred to as tangata whenua (people of the land). Find out the names of the tangata whenua iwi in your area (NB: there may be more than one depending on how large your region is) and note them down for future reference.

You can also refer to Te Kahui Mangai: Directory of Iwi and Maori Organisations at:

http://www.tkm.govt.nz/default.aspx