Te Arawa
Te Arawa is a group of Māori tribes and sub-tribes in New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe. They mainly live in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty areas and, based on the 2018 census, have about 60,100 people, making them the sixth largest iwi in New Zealand. Te Arawa includes 56 hapū (sub-tribes) and 31 marae (family groupings).
Origin and sub-tribes
- The people came to New Zealand on the Arawa canoe and settled mainly around the Bay of Plenty and the Rotorua lakes.
- Three main sub-tribes developed:
- Ngāti Pikiao: eastern end of Lake Rotoiti and areas around Lake Rotoehu and Lake Rotomā
- Tūhourangi: upper Kaituna River, western Lake Rotoiti, and the southeast side of Lake Rotorua including Ōhinemutu
- Ngāti Whakaue: on Mokoia Island and the northwest side of Lake Rotorua (formerly known as Te Uri o Uenukukōpako)
History and settlements
- Many Te Arawa men fought in the New Zealand Wars in the mid-1800s.
- The iwi chose to negotiate directly with the New Zealand Government over historical grievances, rather than going through the Waitangi Tribunal.
- Settlements include:
- The 14 Lakes settlement, signed in December 2004
- A large settlement for historical claims in 2006
- The government apologized to Te Arawa and paid about $36 million in compensation, plus up to 500 square kilometers of Crown forest land and 19 areas of special significance, including the Whakarewarewa Thermal Springs Reserve.
Rotorua Lakes governance
- On 18 December 2015, Te Arawa gained the right to vote in Rotorua Lakes Council committee meetings through the iwi partnership board, Te Tatau o Te Arawa.
Te Arawa Radio
- Te Arawa FM serves Te Arawa, including Ngāti Pikiao, Tūhourangi, and Ngāti Whakaue.
- It started in the early 1980s and became a charitable entity in 1990.
- In 1993 it became Whanau FM. The 99.1 frequency was taken over by Mai FM in 1998; another frequency became Pumanawa 89FM, later returning to Te Arawa FM.
- Today, Te Arawa FM is on 88.7 FM in Rotorua, while 99.1 FM became The Heat 991 FM in 2015.
Constituent groups
The Te Arawa iwi and hapū include: Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Rangiteaorere, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Makino, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Tapuika, Waitaha, Ngāti Ngararanui, Ngāti Rongomai, Ngāti Tahu – Ngāti Whaoa, Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ngāti Te Roro o Te Rangi, Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara, Ngāti Tura-Ngāti Te Ngakau, Ngāti Uenukukōpako, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Huarere and Ngāti Wāhiao.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:33 (CET).