“The iwi (tribe) is the largest of groups that form Māori society.  Each iwi is made up of various hapu (clans or descent groups), which might have up to several hundred members.  Traditionally, the main purpose of a hapu were to defend land, and to provide support for its members.

Some tribal groups formed from links to their waka (canoe) on which their founding ancestor arrived in New Zealand from Hawaiki.  For example, the Waikato tribes trace their descent from the Tainui waka.  Others developed when the pressure on resources such as land and food became so great that some members had to move away and establish themselves elsewhere.  War, migration and family infighting also caused new iwi or hapu to emerge.”

(Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Maori tribes of New Zealand. (2008). Auckland : David Bateman Ltd.).

This page lists a selection of resources relating to exploring tribal histories.  It is not a comprehensive list of material held in Manukau Libraries, but a starting point for your own research.

Manukau Libraries has a Māori collection in each of its libraries, with the most extensive collection held at the Manukau Research Library.

Click on a link to view resources on each iwi/tribe:

Tai Tokerau
Te Tairawhiti
Te Puku o te Ika
Te Tai Hauauru
Te Tai Tonga
Te Wai Pounamu

Tai Tokerau

Te Aupouri

• Cloher, Dorothy. The tribes of Muriwhenua
• Kereama, Matire. The tail of the fish
• Keene , Florence. Rangatira from Aupouri
  Te Rarawa
• Buck, Peter H. The coming of the Māori
• Cloher, Dorothy Urlich. Tribes of Muruwhenua.

Nga Puhi

• Iwidex: Ngapuhi
• Keene, Florence. Tai Tokerau
• Kereama, Matire. The tail of the fish
• McRae, Jane. Ngā iwi o te Tai Tokerau
• Lee, Jack. I have named it the Bay of Islands
• Lee, Jack. Hokianga
• Sissons, Jeffrey. Nga Puriri o Taiamai.

Ngati Kahu

• Cloher, Dorothy Urlich. Tribes of Muruwhenua
• Kari Kari [Videocassette]
• Matiu, McCully. Te Whanau Moana
• McConnell, R. Taua of Kareponia: Leader from the North.

Ngati Whatua

• Kawharu, I.H. Orakei: a Ngati Whatua community
• Ngati Whatua Tribal Register, 1877
• Orakei claim (Wai-9)
• Smith, S Percy. The peopling of the North.
   
  

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Te Tairawhiti

Ngati Awa

• Gudgeon, Walter. Gudgeon's genealogies (2 vols)
• Pio, Hamiora. Ngā taonga tuku iho o Ngati Awa -a-te-Atua
• Steedman, J.A.W. He toto te ahu matua a ngā tupuna
• Lyall, A. Whakatohea of Opotiki
• Laurie, John. Tolaga Bay
• Ruatapu, Mohi. Ngā kōrero a Mohi Ruatapu
• Halbert, Rongowhakaata. Horouta.

Whakatohea

• Lyall, A. Whakatohea of Opotiki.

Ngati Porou

• Gudgeon, W. Gudgeon's genealogies (2 vols)
• Laurie, John. Tolaga Bay
• McConnell, Robert. Olive branches
• Ruatapu, Mohi. Ngā kōrero a Mohi Ruatapu
• Soutar, Monty. Ngati Porou leadership.

Rongowhakaata

• Halbert, Rongowhakaata. Horouta.

Tuhoe

• Best, Elsdon. Tuhoe children of the mist
• Best, Elsdon. Waikare-moana
• Gudgeon, W. Gudgeon's genealogies (2 vols)
• O'Connor, Terry . The heart of Tuhoe
• Sissons, Jeffrey. Te Waimana
• Waikaremoana [videocassette].

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Te Puku o te Ika

Tainui  

• Jones, Pei Te Hurinui. Nga Iwi o Tainui
• Kelly, Leslie G. Tainui
• Phillips, F L. Landmarks of Tainui (2 vols)
• Turoa, Taimoana. Te takoto o te whenua o Hauraki: Hauraki landmarks.

Ngati Tuwharetoa

• Gardner, Deidre. He ohaaki na nga matua tupuna Ko Okahukura
• Grace, J.H. Tu Wharetoa
• Raymond, Val. Nga marae o Ngati Tuwharetoa.

Ngāti Maniapoto

• Craig, Dick. Land of the Maniapoto
• NZ Waitangi Tribunal. The Ngāti Maniapoto/Ngāti Tama settlement cross claims report
• Robertson, J. Genealogies as a basis for Māori chronology
• Turner , Te Muri. Hetet reunion held at Te Kuiti Marae
• Crown, P.N & G S Te Ruki. He kete korero: he kohinga korero kaumātua: nga tupuna taketake o Ngati Maniapoto = The founding ancestors of Maniapoto
• Kelly, Glenys. The Wakefield Family.

Te Arawa

• Stafford, D. Te Arawa: a history of the Arawa people
• Stafford, D. Landmarks of Te Arawa (2 vols)
• Steedman, J.A.W. Ngā Ohaaki o ngā whanau o Tauranga Moana
• Tapsell, Enid. Historic Maketu.
   
  

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Te Tai Hauauru

Taranaki

• Riseborough, Hazel. Days of darkness: Taranaki 1878-1884
• Scott, Dick. Ask that mountain and The Parihaka story.
   
  

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Te Tai Tonga

Ngati Kahungunu

• Mitchell, J.J. Takitimu
• Ngā taumata : he whakaahua o Ngāti Kahungunu = A portrait of Ngāti Kahungunu : 1870-1906
• Kelly, G. Greening family history : descending from Chief Kahungunu of Mahia
• Smith, S. Percy. Lore of the Whare Waananga.
  

Ngāti Toa

• Burns, Patricia. Te Rauparaha, a new perspective
• Te Rauparaha, Tamihana. Life and times of Te Rauparaha.

Rangitāne

• McEwen, Jock. Rangitāne a tribal history
• Parsons, P. Rangitāne o Tamaki-nui-a-rua.

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Te Wai Pounamu

Ngai Tahu (Kai Tahu) and Ngāti Mamoe

• Anderson, Atholl. The welcome of strangers
• Beattie, H. Traditional lifeways of the Southern Māori
• Cormack, Syd. Four generations from Mäoridom
• Ngai Tahu settlement Report
• Tau, Te Maire. Ngā pikituroa o Ngai Tahu
• Wilson, Eva. Titi heritage: the story of the Muttonbird Islands.

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