| Te Whakakitenga o Waikato Waikato Tainui Parliament | |
| Coa Res: | 110px |
| Session Res: | 250px |
| House Type: | Bicameral |
| Houses: | Te Arataura Te Kauhanganui |
| Leader1 Type: | Chair |
| Election1: | February 3, 2021[1] |
| Leader2 Type: | Deputy Chair |
| Election2: | February 3, 2021 |
| Members: | 204 |
| Structure1 Res: | 250px |
| Structure2 Res: | 250px |
| Political Groups1: | Independents (204) |
| Last Election1: | January 2021 |
| Next Election1: | 2024 |
| Meeting Place: | Ngāruawāhia, Waikato region, New Zealand |
| Website: | http://waikatotainui.com/ |
The Whakakitenga, formerly known as the Kauhanganui,[2] is the governing council of the Waikato Tainui tribal confederation in New Zealand. It is structured as a bicameral parliament, and members are elected for three year terms, with each marae electing two members.[3]
The parliament was established by King Tāwhiao of the Kīngitanga in 1889 or 1890.[4]
Te Kauhanganui was originally established at Maungakawa, located in the present day settlement of Te Miro, near Cambridge. It was founded by Tāwhiao after his proposal to set up a pan-Maori parliament in New Zealand to complement the Colonial legislative council was denied by Auckland authorities. The parliament's members consisted of tribally appointed delegates who advised King Tāwhiao on policy and was used by him to communicate with his subjects.
The Kauhanganui remains in existence today, and currently serves as the governing council of the modern Waikato Tainui tribal government.[5] It is headed by 204 tribal members – 3 members from each of the 68 marae. The marae are spread over a large area from Te Kūiti and Cambridge in the south to Auckland in the north. The executive board is Te Arataura, which has 10 representatives elected from Te Kauhanganui and an 11th member appointed by the Māori king. The Waikato-Tainui tribal administration (or iwi authority) is the "Waikato Raupatu Trustee Company Ltd", which replaced the "Tainui Māori Trust Board", and is situated at Hopuhopu, Ngāruawāhia.
The Waikato-Tainui iwi comprises 33 hapu (sub-tribes) and 65 marae (family groupings). There are over 52,000 tribal members who affiliate to Waikato-Tainui.