Ngāi Tūhoe (), often known simply as Tūhoe, is a Māori iwi (tribe) of New Zealand. It takes its name from an ancestral figure, . is a Māori language word meaning 'steep' or 'high noon'. The Tūhoe people also bear the sobriquet ('the children of the mist'). Tūhoe traditional land is at Te Urewera (the former Te Urewera National Park) in eastern North Island, a steep, heavily forested area which includes Lake Waikaremoana. Tūhoe traditionally relied on the forest for their needs. The iwi territory is vast and undeveloped. Tūhoe is considered one of the largest landowners in New Zealand. The territory has six main centres of population, including Ruatāhuna, Waikaremoana, Waimana Valley, Ruatoki, and Tāneatua. Maungapōhatu is the inner sanctum of Te Urewera, and is the most sacred of their ancestral mountains. The Tūhoe country had a reputation among the neighbouring tribes as a graveyard for invading forces.

Tūhoe people have a reputation for their continued strong adherence to Māori identity and for their unbroken use of the Māori language, which 62% of them speak . The iwi population is estimated to number between 33,000 and 46,000. About 30% still live on their tribal lands; most of the rest live in towns on the fringes of Te Urewera and in the larger North Island cities. At least 5,000 live in Australia. Subtribes of the Tūhoe include Ngāti Koura, Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Tāwhaki, Tamakaimoana, Ngāti Whare, Te Whānau Pani, Ngāti Hinekura and Patuheuheu.

The Tūhoe continue to maintain camps in Te Urewera and help run conservation programmes for endangered birds, such as the North Island brown kiwi and the North Island kōkako. Many Tūhoe return to their homelands every two years for the Te Hui Ahurei a Tūhoe (Tūhoe Festival), which features kapa haka, debates, sports competitions, and fashion shows. The event offers a valuable opportunity to maintain connections with friends and relatives.

History

Tūhoe derives its name from , a descendant of Toroa, who came to Aotearoa (New Zealand) as captain of the Mātaatua canoe, and of Toi-te-huatahi and , who had arrived in the region at an earlier date. A traditional saying, ("the land is from Toi and Pōtiki, the mana and rangatiratanga is from Tūhoe") reflects this ancestry. Tūhoe is thus part of the tribal confederation, along with Ngāti Awa and Whakatōhea to the north and other iwi further afield.

19th century

Tūhoe had little direct contact with the early European settlers. During a ceasefire in the battle, under a flag of truce, Gilbert Mair, a translator, was shot in the shoulder by a Tūhoe warrior. Nearly all the Tūhoe at the battle <!--number?-->were killed.

The following year, authorities accused the Tūhoe of sheltering Kereopa Te Rau, a Hauhau wanted for killing and beheading Carl Sylvius Völkner, a missionary of the Church Mission Society, in what was called the Völkner incident. Initially, the Tūhoe had cooperated in tracking down the Hauhau leader and had taken him prisoner. The Tūhoe tried to use him as a bargaining chip, but the government demanded Te Rau be handed over for trial. After the Tūhoe released him, Te Rau hid in Te Urewera.

In 1868, Tūhoe sheltered the Māori leader Te Kooti, a fugitive who had escaped from imprisonment on the Chatham Islands. Te Kooti arrived in the area with a large group of escaped convicts, fully armed with modern weapons he had stolen from the ship he had hijacked. It is doubtful that the Tūhoe could have resisted his demands for sanctuary. Some Tūhoe joined his armed Ringatū band, but other Tūhoe told government forces of Te Kooti's whereabouts. Some joined the armed forces to hunt him down. Government forces punished those Tūhoe who supported Te Kooti during the manhunt. Te Ara, the Online Encyclopedia of New Zealand, notes:

Te Kooti escaped to the King Country, and after the events surrounding the hunt for him, the Tūhoe isolated themselves, closing off access to their lands by refusing to sell, lease or survey them, and blocking the building of roads.

1916 police raid

thumbnail|The settlement of [[Maungapōhatu in 1908]]

thumbnail|Tūhoe prophet Rua Kēnana in 1908

Historian James Belich describes Te Urewera as one of the last zones of Māori autonomy, and the scene of the last case of armed Māori resistance: the 1916 New Zealand Police raid to arrest the Tūhoe prophet, Rua Kēnana Hepetipa. So as not to alert Maungapōhatu residents of their intention to spring an attack, they did not wear their police uniforms until just before the raid. They were convinced that when they reached the village there would be an ambush.

There was no violent resistance from Rua personally, but his supporters fought a half-hour gun battle with the police in which two Māori, including Rua's son Toko, were killed and two wounded. Four constables were also wounded. Rua was arrested and transported to Rotorua, his hair and beard removed. From Rotorua, with six other Māori prisoners including Whatu, Rua was transferred to Auckland and sent directly to Mount Eden prison. Rua was held, at first, on a nine months sentence imposed for the 1915 charges and now increased by his default of fines. After a trial on sedition which lasted 47&nbsp;days, New Zealand's longest until 1977, he was found not guilty; but sentenced to one year's imprisonment for resisting the police.

20th century

Significant European penetration did not occur in Te Urewera until the 20th century. A road was built by the government from Rotorua to Ruatāhuna in 1901 to end the isolation of Tūhoe by opening up the first motor road.

Tūhoe and other local iwi brought the Te Urewera claim to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2002, with submissions accepted up until 2005.

2007 police raid

There was a major armed-police raid in Te Urewera on 15 October 2007 amid claims that some Tūhoe had run terrorist training-camps there. Roadblocks were set up between Ruatoki and Tāneatua by armed police, who searched and questioned everyone who passed through, including a school bus, and locals said they felt intimidated.

No terrorism charges were laid, and Police Commissioner Howard Broad later publicly apologised for the actions of his officers during the raid, acknowledging they had set back relations between police and the Tūhoe people: "We regret the hurt and stress caused to the community of Ruatoki and we will seek an appropriate way to repair the damage done to police-Maori relations. History tells us that episodes such as this can and do take decades to heal." A 2013 IPCA review found "...police searches, vehicle stops, roadblocks and photographs taken in Tuhoe country on October 15, 2007, unlawful, unjustified and unreasonable."

Treaty of Waitangi claim settlement

A final settlement was signed in June 2013, after being ratified by all Tūhoe members. Under the deal, Tūhoe received financial, commercial and cultural redress valued at approximately $170 million; an historical account and Crown apology; and the co-governance of a new legal entity, Te Urewera. It was put into law by the passing of the Tūhoe Claims Settlement Act 2014.

Organisation

The representative organisation of the iwi is TūhoeTe Uru Taumatua. This is a common law trust, with a board consisting of seven board members, appointed from four local organisations, referred to as Tribals or (short for Tūhoe Tribal Executive Committees). As of 2025 its chair was Tamati Kruger and its CEO was Kirsti Luke. The organisation represents the iwi for the purposes of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Māori Fisheries Act 2004, and is the post-settlement entity responsible for the iwi's interests under both the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement 2008 and the Tūhoe Claims Settlement Act 2014.

Tūhoe - Te Uru Taumatua is divided into four departments:

  • Anamata - Tūhoe Future's<!--sic--> is responsible for long-term planning.
  • Ōnukurani - The Tūhoe Biosphere is responsible for managing the iwi's land, rivers, forests.
  • Iwi - Tūhoe People is responsible for social strategy, policy and investment. It also maintains relationships with members of the iwi who live outside the tribal lands.
  • Whairawa - Tūhoe Infrastructure and Resources is responsible for economic development.

It also oversees or has a stake in three major subsidiary entities:

  • Tūhoe Fisheries Quota Limited (TFQL), established under the Māori Fisheries Act 2004, which manages the iwi's portion of the fishing quota and income received from Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd.

The board was responsible for appointing the initial Tūhoe representatives on the Te Urewera Board, which is responsible for speaking for Te Urewera, which is a legal entity that owns itself under the Te Urewera Act 2014.

Tribals

The territory of the iwi is divided into four Tribals or Taraipara (short for Tūhoe Tribal Executive Committees). These are non-registered entities which were established in the mid-twentieth century. Each Tribal meets monthly and consists of two delegates from each marae within their region, selected by the individual hapū. They each appoint a chair, secretary, and treasurer for a three-year term. For the and in their respective regions, they serve as the formal venue for decision making, the collective voice, the contact point for external stakeholders, and a forum for matters relating to thee iwi's reo and tikanga (language and traditional knowledge). They are representative organisations; authority and mana remain with the individual and . Since 2011, they also serve as the interface between the individual and of the iwi and TūhoeTe Uru Taumatua.

  • Te Taraipara ō Rūātoki Tribal, formerly known as Western Tūhoe Tribal Executive Committee and Te Kōpu, established in the 1950s, which consists of 24 delegates from 12 in the northwestern part of Tūhoe territory, around Ruatoki.
  • Te Waimana Kaaku Tribal, which consists of 24 delegates from 12 in the northern part of Tūhoe territory, around Waimana. Waimana is a sacred spring, where chiefs used to gather for decision-making meetings. is a term referring to the way kūmara vine tendrils grow together. The tribal claims a particular link to Hapekituarangi and his sons Tamarau and Rāwaho of Te Hapū-oneone, who played a key role in the cultivation of .
  • Waikaremoana Tribal, established in 2007, which consists of eight delegates from four around Lake Waikaremoana, in the southern part of Tūhoe territory.

Hapū and marae

Tūhoe consists of 39 , some of which are shared by multiple . As of 2011, there are 65 within Tūhoe, but the number has varied over time as hapū lapse, split or reform.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Marae !! Wharenui !! Hapū !! Tribal

|-

| Kākānui (Tīpapa) || Kākahutāpiki || Ngāti Kākahutāpiki || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Mātaatua || Te Whaia a Te Motu || Te Urewera || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Ōhaua o te rangi || Te Poho-o-Pōtiki || Ngāti Rongo || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Ōpūtao || Te Ngawari || Ngāti Tāwhaki || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Ōtekura<br /><small>(attached to Kākānui)</small> || Te Ōhāki || Ngāti Kākahutāpiki; Tamakaimoana || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Pāpueru || Te Whatu o Te Kanohi || Ngāti Tāwhaki || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Tātāhoata || Te Tapuae || Ngāi Te Riu || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Te Umuroa || Te Poho-o-Parahaki || Ngāti Manunui || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Uwhiārae || Te Paena || Ngāi Te Paena || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Te Waiiti || Te Poho o Kurī Kino || Ngāti Kurī Kino; Tamakaimoana || Ruatāhuna

|-

| Hui te Raniora || Hui te Raniora || Ngāti Rongo || Rūātoki

|-

| Nāhina || Tāwhaki || Ngāti Tāwhaki || Rūātoki

|-

| Ōhotu || Pōtiki Tiketike || Te Whānau a Pani || Rūātoki

|-

| Ōtenuku || Tahatu o Te Ao || Ngāti Kōura || Rūātoki

|-

| Ōwhakatoro (Te Mauku) || Tā Apirana Turupa Ngata || Ngāti Rongo || Rūātoki

|-

| Te Papakāina || Kōura-kino || Ngāti Kōura || Rūātoki

|-

| Te Pūtere || Te Poho o Ranimonoa || Ngāti Mura || Rūātoki

|-

| Te Rewarewa || Te Rangimoaho; Kuramihirangi || Te Māhurehure || Rūātoki

|-

| Tauarau || Rongokarae || Ngāti Rongo || Rūātoki

|-

| Te Tōtara || Te Puhi o Mātaatua || Te Urewera || Rūātoki

|-

| Waikirikiri || Toi-kai-rākau || Hāmua; Ngāti Mura || Rūātoki

|-

| Matahī || Te Huinga o te Kura || Ngāi Tamatuhirae || Te Waimana

|-

| Ōmuriwaka || Te Tātua o Hape ki Tūārangi || Ngai Tamatuhirae || Te Waimana

|-

| Piripari || Tamakaimoana || Ngāi Tātua; Tamakaimoana || Te Waimana

|-

| Pouāhīnau || Tūranga Pikitoi || Tūranga Pikitoi || Te Waimana

|-

| Rāhiri || Rāhiri ō te Rangi || Ngāti Rere || Te Waimana

|-

| Rāroa || Te Poho ō Tānemoeahi || Tamaruarangi || Te Waimana

|-

| Tanatana || Te Poho ō Tuhoe || Ngāti Rere || Te Waimana

|-

| Tātaiāhape || Takutai ō Terangi || Ngāti Raka || Te Waimana

|-

| Tauanui || Te Poho ō Tamatea || Te Whakatāne || Te Waimana

|-

| Tāwhana || Ngā Tau E Maha || Ngā Maihi || Te Waimana

|-

| Tuapō || Te Ao Hou || Tamakaimoana || Te Waimana

|-

| Whakarae (Te Kaawa) || Toi te Huatahi || Te Whakatāne; Ngāi Tama || Te Waimana

|-

| Te Kūhā Tārewa || Hinekura Wāhi || Ngāti Hinekura; Ngāti Ruapani || Waikaremoana

|-

| Ngātapa || || Te Whānau a Eria || Waikaremoana

|-

| Te Pūtere || Pareroa || Ngāi Tarapāraoa || Waikaremoana

|-

| Waimako || Te Poho-o-Tūhoe Pōtiki || Te Whānau Pani || Waikaremoana

|-

| Te Māpou || Tāne nui ā Rangi || Tamakaimoana || (Maungapōhatu)

|-

| Waiōhau || Tama ki Hikurangi || Ngāti Haka; Patuheuheu || (Waiōhau)

|}

Ngāti Koura

Ngāti Koura is a (subtribe) in the eastern Bay of Plenty on North Island. Two are traditionally associated with Ngāti Koura: Otenuku and Te Papakainga. Otenuku is the site of Te Tapuwae, a cemetery in which many Tūhoe chiefs are buried.

References

  • Tūhoe iwi website
  • Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
  • Tuhoe and their history in Te Urewera National Park, radiolive.co.nz