Ngāti Toa

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Ngāti Toa is a tribe ( Iwi ) of the Māori in New Zealand , which originated north of Wellington on the west coast of the North Island . The ancestor and namesake of the tribe was Toa Rangatira , who founded this tribe in the 17th century.

The tribe of the Ngāti Toa had gained importance through its armed conflicts with other Māori tribes. Te Rauparaha , leader of the tribe in the first half of the 19th century, recognized the strategic importance of the Cook Strait , expanded his tribal territory to Wellington, crossed over to the South Island and waged numerous wars against the Māori tribes of the South Island from 1828 to 1839 especially against the Ngāi Tahu .

In 1840 the catchment area of ​​the Ngāti Toa comprised the area on the North Island from Wanganui on the west coast over the Tararua Range to Wellington. On the South Island, the tribe could expand down to Hokitika on the west coast and Kaikoura on the east coast.

In 1839 Te Rauparaha made friends with the young missionary Octavius ​​Hadfield (1890-1893), promoted the Christianization of his tribe, but never changed to Christianity during his life. Much of his tribe became Anglicans .

On February 6, 1840, Te Rauparaha signed the Treaty of Waitangi , which placed New Zealand under the protection of the British Crown, left him as tribal leader and guaranteed the Ngāti Toa tribe of their land.

Today, according to the 2006 census, the Ngāti Toa tribe still comprises 3,462 members between Wanganui and Wellington. According to statistics, an additional 1,293 members of the tribe are not assigned to any particular region as unspecific.

The members of the tribe are organized in the Ngāti Toa Rangatira and raise claims in the Waitangi Tribunal in the regions of Port Nicholson , Te Tau Ihu and Porirua - Whanganui River .

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