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Story: Waikato region

Tribes of Tainui

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Tribes of Tainui

The Waikato region is the home of many tribes that trace their ancestry back to the voyagers on the Tainui waka (canoe). This map shows the principal tribes, and their traditional territories, both within and near Waikato.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Te tumu korero. Ngāruawāhia: Turongo House, 1983

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Waikato region – Māori settlement, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/27069/tribes-of-tainui (accessed 19 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 26 May 2010, updated 1 July 2015.