right|thumb|300px|Two kaumātua at the sinking of
A kaumātua is a respected tribal elder in a Māori community who has been involved with their whānau for some years. They are appointed by their people who believe the chosen elders have the capacity to teach and guide both current and future generations. Kaumātua have good knowledge of Māori tikanga, language and history; and their contribution ensures that the mana of the whānau, hapū and iwi are maintained. Barlow (1994) refers to kaumātua as being the "keepers of knowledge and traditions of the family, sub-tribe and tribe". Although the term ' is widely used to refer to all elders, male kaumātua are more correctly called or ', and female elders are called '.
The word comes from ', meaning alone, without or none, and ', meaning parents; thus, ' literally means "no parents" and reflects how the parents of older generations have passed on.
Characteristics
Kaumātua never self-proclaim their elder status, as the rules of mana prohibit this; instead the people acknowledge an elder's status as kaumātua. Kaumātua comport themselves with humility, honesty, and integrity, and typically possess deep knowledge of a particular subject such as whakapapa or tikanga, and know people who have expertise in other fields. These supernatural powers allowed the reincarnated spirits to return to earth to provide influential guidance to the remaining family. Once contact is made, research objectives and outcomes are discussed with kaumātua and other tribal elders. Key contact individuals are appointed for both the research and iwi sides. While the contact person for the research may be the kaimatai hinengaro, kaumātua usually represent the iwi and provide feedback on satisfaction with research methods and treatment of Māori participants.