iwi

/ ˈiːwɪː /

noun

1. a Māori tribe

Word History and Origins

Origin of iwi¹

Māori, literally: bone(s)

Example Sentences

Eventually, New Zealand’s government faced the country’s iwi, or tribes, over the colonial theft of their land.

From National Geographic

“In getting to know each other, you get to know the iwi, and in getting to know the iwi, you get to know whether you’re ready to adopt the child, or the bird in this case,” explains Taylor.

From National Geographic

Looking for a safe location in which to test whether kākāpō can survive on the mainland, and to relieve overcrowding on the three coastal islands, the Department of Conservation and Ngāi Tahu reached out to Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, one of the iwi local to Maungatautari, to gauge their interest in receiving kākāpō.

From National Geographic

But there was good reason for this breeding intervention—the birds were becoming so inbred that “eggs just wouldn’t hatch,” Davis told his iwi.

From National Geographic

Ngāi Tahu signed a 1996 settlement giving the iwi a special role in the management of Whenua Hou and, in recognition of the tribe’s centuries-long relationship with the bird, in the conservation of kākāpō.

From National Geographic