Tainui

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Tainui is a Māori Iwi Tribal Confederation of New Zealand.

Originally, Tainui was the name of an infant who did not survive childbirth. It was at the burial site of this child, where a great tree grew, this was the tree that was used to build the ocean canoe (waka) Tainui. At those times in Hawaiiki, at a place known then as Maungaroa.

The Tainui Waka (canoe) confederation comprises of four principal related Māori Iwi of the central north island of New Zealand. The four Iwi being, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapoto, Raukawa and Waikato. The Tainui Waka was one the migratory sailing canoes that voyaged across the Pacific Ocean from Hawaiki to Aotearoa (New Zealand) approximately 800 years ago.

The Tainui Waka was led by the chief Hoturoa. On its voyage the Tainui stopped at many locations around the upper North Island of New Zealand; its first landfall was Whangaparaoa in the Bay of Plenty then on to Whitianga, Waitemata, Manukau, Kaipara, Waikato West Coast harbours, south beyond Mokau, before returning north to its final resting place at Maketu, Kāwhia harbour (Te Tumu O Tainui 1986).

It is well known that the Waikato Iwi has been using the name Tainui to describe itself for sometime through the establishment of the Tainui Māori Trust Board in 1946; with many people now referring to the Waikato Iwi as Tainui or Waikato-Tainui. The Waikato Iwi is based in the Waikato region and the Waikato River plays a large role in the history and culture of the iwi. Hamilton City, New Zealand is the largest population center for the Waikato Iwi people, however the township Ngaruawahia is also important historically and for the National Marae; Turangawaewae. The Waikato-Tainui Iwi comprises 33 Hapu (sub-tribes) and 65 Marae (Family groupings). There are over 52,000 tribal members who affiliate to Waikato-Tainui.

Waikato-Tainui's governing parliamentary body is Te Kauhanganui o Waikato Incorporated, which is comprised 195 tribal members; 3 members from each 65 Marae. The 65 Marae are spread over a large area from Te Kuiti and Cambridge in the south to Auckland City in the north. The Waikato-Tainui tribal administration (Iwi Authority) is the Waikato Raupatu Trustee Company Ltd which replaced the Tainui Māori Trust Board and is situated at Hopuhopu, Ngaruawahia.

There have traditionally been strong links between Tainui and the University of Waikato, which has strengths in Māori language and modern local history. The university also hold documents and objects related to the tribe.