TeArawa is a confederation of Māoriiwi and hapu of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe. The tribes are based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty areas and have a population of around 40,000.
History
The history of the Te Arawa people is inextricably linked to the Arawa canoe. The Te Arawa tribes have a close historical interest in the lakes around Rotorua. Many Te Arawa men fought for the Colonial Government in the New Zealand Wars that occurred in the mid-19th century in the North Island of New Zealand. Perhaps in part, for this reason, the iwi chose to negotiate directly with the New Zealand Government over their historical grievances, bypassing the Waitangi Tribunal. A series of negotiations has resulted in several settlements of their various claims, the largest of which involve the settlement relating to the 14 lakes, signed in December 2004, and the settlement for all the historical claims of a cluster of Te Arawa iwi and hapu signed on 30 September 2006. The Government apologised to Te Arawa for breaches of the Treaty and paid $36 million in compensation, including up to 500 km² of Crown forest land, as well as 19 areas of special significance, including the Whakarewarewa Thermal Springs Reserve. On 18 December 2015 Te Arawa gained the right to vote in committee meetings of the via an iwi partnership board, Te Tatau o Te Arawa. Te Arawa FM is the radio station of Te Arawa iwi, including Ngāti Pikiao, Tūhourangi and Ngāti Whakaue. It was established in the early 1980s and became a charitable entity in November 1990. The station underwent a major transformation in 1993, becoming Whanau FM. One of the station's frequencies 99.1 was taken over by Mai FM in 1998; the other became Pumanawa 89FM before later reverting to Te Arawa FM. It is available on in Rotorua the 99.1 frequency is now broadcasting commercial station The Heat 991 FM which started broadcasting April 15 2015..
Constituent iwi and hapu
The iwi and hapu that constitute Te Arawa include:
