Kāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu, is the South Island’s largest Māori iwi or tribe, and the main iwi of Ōtepoti Dunedin. In the local te reo Māori dialect it is often referred to as Kāi Tahu.
Kāi Tahu followed other iwi, Waitaha and Ngāti Mamoe, to the South Island, Te Waipounamu, more than 800 years ago. Kāi Tahu became the largest South Island iwi through political allegiances, warfare and intermarriage.
The province of Otago takes its name from the Ngāi Tahu village of Ōtākou at the mouth of the Otago Harbour.
For more information please visit Ngāi Tahu website (link to external website, new window).
Local rūnaka
Rūnaka, or rūnanga, are iwi councils or authorities that work on behalf of Māori in certain areas. Kaunihera a-rohe o Ōtepoti, the Dunedin City Council, has close relationships with two rūnaka, Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou (link to external website, new window) and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki (link to external website, new window).
Treaty of Waitangi
Signed in 1840 between the British Crown and over 500 Māori chiefs, te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi, is the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi underpin all of the Dunedin City Council’s strategies, and Council’s decision-making in general.
For more information about te Tiriti o Waitangi, visit
- National Library of New Zealand website (link to external website, new window)
- Teara website (link to external website, new window)
- NZ history website (link to external website, new window)
Te reo Māori
Use of te reo Māori, the Māori language, is encouraged all over Aotearoa New Zealand.
It is increasingly common to hear people use phrases, such as ‘kia ora’ (hello), ‘mōrena’ (good morning), ‘ka pai’ (well done) or ‘kia kaha’ (stay strong).
The University of Otago has put together a list of suggested websites for those wanting to find out more about learning te reo Māori (link to external website, new window).
For cultural training in tikanga Māori, Māori practices and protocols, visit Aukaha website (link to external website, new window).