Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu is a Māori iwi whose traditional territory, Te Waipounamu, covers most of New Zealand’s South Island and nearby islands.
Māori: The Indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand, with distinct iwi, languages, and cultural traditions. Ngāi Tahu is one of the Māori iwi.
Iwi: A Māori kinship-based people or tribe connected through shared ancestry, history, and territory. Ngāi Tahu is an iwi, with collective rights and responsibilities grounded in whakapapa.
Kemp’s Deed: An 1848 land purchase agreement between Ngāi Tahu and the New Zealand Company’s representative, Henry Tacy Kemp. The deed transferred vast South Island lands while promising reserves and access to resources that were not fully provided.
Rūnanga: A Māori council or assembly that makes decisions and represents a community or kin group. Ngāi Tahu rūnanga connect local communities with iwi-wide governance.
Aoraki / Mount Cook: New Zealand’s highest mountain, known in Māori as Aoraki and in English as Mount Cook. Aoraki is an ancestor and landmark of deep significance in Ngāi Tahu tradition.
Waitaha: An iwi traditionally associated with early Māori settlement of Te Waipounamu. Ngāi Tahu traditions connect Waitaha histories with the people who preceded them in the South Island.
Whakapapa: Genealogy and a framework of relationships linking people, ancestors, and the natural world in Māori culture. Whakapapa establishes Ngāi Tahu identity, kinship, and connections to whenua.
Waitangi Tribunal: A New Zealand commission that investigates claims of Crown breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. Its inquiry documented Crown actions underlying Ngāi Tahu’s historical claims.
Papatipu rūnanga: The 18 local governing bodies representing Ngāi Tahu communities across its takiwā. They carry local responsibilities and participate in the iwi’s representative structure.
Kai Tahu: A variant form of the name Ngāi Tahu, used especially in southern dialect contexts. The form reflects dialect variation and local pronunciation within the iwi’s territory.