Ngāti Awa is a Māori iwi (tribe) centred in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand.
[1] The Ngāti Awa people are primarily located in towns on the Rangitaiki Plain, including Whakatāne, Kawerau, Edgecumbe, Te Teko and Matatā.
Initially, the tribe controlled a large area in Northland, but conflicts with other northern iwi resulted in a southward migration.
Descendants of Awanuiarangi II eventually formed their own iwi, Ngāti Awa, named after their ancestor.
[2] In 2003, following almost ten years of negotiations between the New Zealand Government and Ngāti Awa, a settlement was announced and reparations were made to the iwi.
Based in Whakatāne, the rūnanga manages the financial assets of the iwi, and promotes cultural, educational and economic development in the region.