Ngāi Tahu

Ngāi Tahu are the tangata whenua – the people of the land – of Te Waipounamu (South Island) of Aotearoa (New Zealand).

We trace our ancestry back to the Takitimu waka. Ngāi Tahu descend from the five primary hapū of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe and Waitaha, namely Kāti Kuri, Ngāti Irakehu, Kāti Huirapa, Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki. We have lived in Te Waipounamu for more than 20 generations living on and with the land, and in harmony with the seasons and the resources they provide.

Visit the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu website to find out more about Ngāi Tahu.