.iwi.nz
.iwi.nz was the first Indigenous domain name in Aotearoa New Zealand and the second in the world, after the Native American nsn domain.
.iwi.nz is a moderated domain. Any traditional Māori tribe, hapū or taurahere group may register a name in it.
The domain has a detailed moderation policy that gives iwi protection online. Names can be registered through the two authorised registrars named in the .iwi.nz policy.
Over a 27 year period (1997-2024), .iwi.nz has more than once faced having new registrations suspended because no one was available to moderate it. InternetNZ (then ISOCNZ) wrote to the then Minister of Māori Affairs, Tau Henare, asking for help to find a moderator and warning that the domain would otherwise be closed to new registrations.
At one time InternetNZ also thought .iwi.nz was enough to represent Māori, and used this as a reason not to support .maori.nz. It was later made clear that iwi and Māori are different groups: an iwi is a collective of people joined by whakapapa, while .maori.nz was for individuals, groups and anyone wanting to promote or identify as Māori.
2024 moderation policy
Criteria
Criterion 1. You must be a traditional Māori tribe, a hapū that belongs to a traditional Māori iwi, or a taurahere iwi group operating with the permission of the main iwi.
Criterion 2. You must be a legal body.
Criterion 3. Only genuine Māori names will be allowed in the domain, as follows:
- If an iwi is known by an abbreviation, the abbreviation will be accepted as its iwi name.
Note: tribal project names and tribal-owned companies will not be accepted in .iwi.nz.
Criterion 4. A Mandated Iwi Organisation (MIO) as described in the Māori Fisheries Act, subject to Criterion 3.
Notes
- Multiple .iwi.nz names per iwi are permitted.
- Tribal dialect is permitted in iwi names.
- The prefix Ngāi, Ngāti or another tribal prefix may be used in the name but is optional.
- Urban Māori groups may apply for .iwi.nz if they:
- have been established for more than 12 months
- are a legal body
- represent a reasonable proportion of urban Māori in their area
- hold a database of all members, and
- meet Criterion 3.
Registering a .iwi.nz name
Please read the criteria above before registering. You can register through either of these two companies:
- Freeparking (names without macrons only)
- GodZone Internet Services (names with and without macrons)
If you use Freeparking, please note:
- Applying for a .iwi.nz name creates a $0 invoice, because Freeparking’s shopping cart cannot accept a product without a dollar value.
- If the application is approved, Freeparking creates a new invoice in your account for the registration.
- Once you pay that invoice by credit card, internet banking or cheque, the domain name is registered.
Macrons in .iwi.nz
Macrons have been available in all .nz web addresses for almost three years.
Macrons in web addresses can cause technical problems. Some email programs do not recognise non-English characters, and some visitors may not know how to type a macron.
We therefore suggest registering two addresses, one with macrons and one without. Each registration has its own fee.
Historical .iwi.nz criteria
These are all the .iwi.nz moderation policies since the original. The original policy was informal and was not written down or published in any formal way until 1997.
1994–1997
This was the original policy. It was not updated until 2000, when the current moderator revised it after consulting the New Zealand Māori Internet Society.
iwi.nz is a moderated 2nd level domain. Before considering applying for iwi.nz you must meet, in the first instance the following 2 rules:
Rule 1. You must be a traditional Māori tribe
Rule 2. You must have a Trust Board.
2000
Criteria to be considered for the second level domain .iwi.nz
iwi.nz is a moderated 2nd level domain. Before considering applying for iwi.nz you must meet, in the first instance the following 2 rules*:
Rule 1. You must be a traditional Māori tribe
Rule 2. You must have a Trust Board.
* These are the two basic requirements that are required by the New Zealand Internet Society (ISOCNZ).
If you meet the criteria of both Rules 1 and 2, please see New Zealand Māori Internet Society’s application of these rules below in sections 1–4.
- Only a traditional Māori tribe (including Chatham’s) of pre Treaty of Waitangi times will be considered, pursuant to section 4.
- Only genuine Māori names will be allowed in the domain. For example, if an iwi owned a company called “Kiwi Limited” they will not be allowed to apply for www.k.iwi.nz as a web address or www.kiwi.iwi.nz.
- Tribal dialect is permissible in iwi names, for example “Ngāi Tahu” may apply and will be accepted for “KāiTahu.iwi.nz” (pursuant to the rules 1 and 2) as the Ng/K is part of their tribal dialect.
- Urban Māori groups may apply for .iwi.nz with the following provisions which are designed to support the mana of the traditional iwi: Firstly they must have been established for over 12 months. They must have a Trust Board and represent a reasonable proportion of urban Māori. They must also have a database of all their members as do other iwi authorities. They must also have a Māori name. Pākehā names will not be considered as it will affect the mana of the word iwi and the mana of the 2nd Level domain .iwi.nz.
Apply for the iwi.nz domain through your Internet Service Provider or agent. Do not send your application directly to us, as we can not directly process your request.
Māori individuals
If you do not meet the requirements above and are a Māori individual or group, we invite you to support the New Zealand Māori Internet Society/Te Whānau Ipurangi. Since we will be approaching ISOCNZ in the near future for a new 2nd level maori.nz domain. The purpose of this new domain will be for all Māori who do not qualify for .iwi.nz. Contact the Chairperson.
Māori hapū
Traditional Māori hapū can not obtain an iwi.nz 2nd Level domain. We suggest you speak with your tribal authority about getting a sub domain name. For example, if your iwi is Ngāi Tahu and your hapū is Ngāi Tuahuriri, talk to the iwi authority and see if you can come to an arrangement for www.tuahuriri.ngaitahu.iwi.nz.
If no arrangement can be made or there is no iwi authority etc, we would like to hear from you.
Contact the Chairperson. Last updated August 1 2000.
2003
iwi.nz is a moderated 2nd level domain. Before considering applying for iwi.nz you must meet the following.
Criteria 1. You must be a traditional Maori tribe, Hapu that belongs to a traditional Maori Iwi or taura here Iwi group operating with the permission of the main Iwi.
Criteria 2. You must be a legal body.
Criteria 3. Only genuine Maori names will be allowed in the domain pursuant to the following:
(a) If an Iwi is known by an abbreviation then they shall be accepted with their abbreviation as their iwi name.
(b) Tribal project names and tribal owned companies will not be accepted in iwi.nz.Notes:
- Multiple .iwi.nz names per Iwi are permissible.
- Tribal dialect is permissible in iwi names.
- The use of ngai, ngati or other tribal suffix is applicable in the name but is optional.
- Technology prohibits the use of macrons in domain names.
- Urban Maori groups may apply for .iwi.nz if the following is met:
- Must have been established for over 12 months.
- A legal body.
- Must represent a reasonable proportion of urban Maori in your area.
- Possess a database of all members.
- Criteria 3 is met.
2011
iwi.nz is a moderated 2nd level domain specific to Iwi Māori. It is moderated to protect Iwi applicants from individuals:
- Using an Iwi name for non Iwi purposes
- Purchasing an Iwi name in the .iwi.nz area, and offering to sell it back at huge inflated prices
- Directing an iwi name to distasteful websites, and many other dubious schemes.
It also ensures that Iwi can be assured that their Iwi names have a Kaitiaki, and will remain in the rightful hands.
NOTE: Macrons are now available to be used in .iwi.nz addresses.
If your Iwi wish to register a .iwi.nz name, you also have the option of registering your .iwi.nz with and without macrons. With the growing use of macron-enabled software and knowledge of macrons, it is advisable to register both forms of your .iwi.nz name. Each variant will require a separate registration and fee.
Criteria
Criterion 1. You must be a traditional Māori tribe, Hapū that belongs to a traditional Māori Iwi or taura here Iwi group operating with the permission of the main Iwi.
Criterion 2. You must be a legal body.
Criterion 3. Only genuine Māori names will be allowed in the domain pursuant to the following:
(a) If an Iwi is known by an abbreviation then they shall be accepted with their abbreviation as their iwi name.
Note: Tribal project names and tribal owned companies will not be accepted in iwi.nz.
Criterion 4. A Mandated Iwi Organisation as described in the Māori Fisheries Act (MIO), pursuant to Criterion 3.
Notes
- Multiple .iwi.nz names per Iwi are permissible.
- Tribal dialect is permissible in iwi names.
- The use of ngāi, ngāti or other tribal suffix is applicable in the name but is optional.
- Urban Māori groups may apply for .iwi.nz if the following is met:
- Must have been established for over 12 months.
- A legal body.
- Must represent a reasonable proportion of urban Maori in your area.
- Possess a database of all members.
- Criteria 3 is met.
Registrar
The authorised registrar for the .iwi.nz namespace is FreeParking (www.freeparking.co.nz). This means that all new .iwi.nz registrations may only be made through FreeParking, although domain names may be transferred to other registrars. Any inquiries regarding this policy should be made to the .iwi.nz Moderator, karaitiana@taiuru.maori.nz.
FAQ replies
If you are registering on behalf of an Iwi, ensure that the Iwi name is in the registrant fields. If your own details are there, the application will be declined.
Once your registration has been approved you will receive an email invoice from FreeParking (sent to the contact person’s email). Once you have paid the invoice your domain name will be made available.
If your domain name is not approved, you can email the moderator Karaitiana Taiuru to discuss it. If you are not happy with his response, you may email the New Zealand Domain Name Commissioner at info@dnc.org.nz. The DNC is the overall manager of .nz addresses.
If you have billing or technical questions please contact FreeParking directly.
For general questions about .iwi.nz please contact the moderator Karaitiana Taiuru.
Value of .iwi.nz and protection options
.iwi.nz is a moderated second-level domain specific to iwi Māori. Moderation protects iwi from people who:
- use an iwi name for non-iwi purposes
- buy an iwi name and offer to sell it back at a hugely inflated price
- point an iwi name to distasteful websites, or use it for other dubious schemes.
Moderation also assures iwi that their names have a kaitiaki and will stay in the rightful hands.
Iwi face the same online branding and identity issues as corporate entities and businesses. In this they are no different from commercial groups or from many other Indigenous Peoples of the world. The one exception is that iwi have an authentic, protected space on the web: .iwi.nz.
.iwi.nz is a web address only for iwi, hapū and taurahere rōpū. It is moderated by a real person, who checks that each iwi name is authentic and declines names not being registered by the iwi.
Only two companies are authorised to register .iwi.nz names. This adds to the authenticity and security of .iwi.nz, and further assures website visitors and whānau that they are on the genuine iwi website.
Registering only in .iwi.nz is vital for iwi to protect both their online identity and the online safety of iwi members and whānau.
The issues with a non-.iwi.nz address for iwi
We often hear of a web search for a tribe that takes the user to a gambling site, an imitation site selling fake jewellery and resources, or pornographic content.
In New Zealand, iwi have faced people registering iwi names outside .iwi.nz and then offering them for sale, sometimes for hundreds of times the original registration price. Iwi have also had their genuine websites copied so that a fake site looks the same as the real one. Scammers then use the fake site to collect personal information, credit card details and so on.
Sometimes a site registered with an iwi name outside .iwi.nz appears first in Google search results. This can be countered by asking your web developer to improve your site’s search engine ranking, for example by using keywords.
Previous widespread issues
When .maori.nz was launched in 2002, a businessman bulk-registered most iwi names and then offered them for sale.
Likewise, when .kiwi.nz was launched in 2012, a handful of individuals registered iwi names. In 2013 the New Zealand Māori Internet Society began investigating and lodged formal complaints about several of these names.
Potential issues outside .iwi.nz
Imagine someone searching the internet for an iwi organisation who finds IWIname.maori.nz and enters their personal details, as they would on an authentic iwi website. Unknown to them, the site is run by criminals, who now have a database of contact details for whānau and individuals. This is very easy to do. Criminals often register names similar to a bank or other business and build almost identical websites. This is called a phishing attack, and it happens more often than most people think.
Another common trick is to work out common misspellings of a name and register those as web addresses. For iwi there is an added risk because macrons can be used in web addresses, so ngāi or ngāti can appear with or without a macron. This is another reason to use .iwi.nz: it is almost impossible to register a fraudulent name there, or at least to keep one for long without the registrant’s contact details being recorded and the address cancelled.
Creation story and history
In 1994 a representative of Ngāi Tahu informally suggested the benefits of .iwi.nz to John Houlker of the Tuia Society. Tuia was a self-appointed group, and at the time the only one, that sought to coordinate activity on the New Zealand internet. Later in 1994 it proposed creating the Internet Society of New Zealand (ISOCNZ), which was formed in 1995 and is now known as InternetNZ.
John Houlker then began the discussion on the Tuia Technical Working Group list, and Don Stokes took the lead in creating the domain.
Don Stokes and John Houlker agreed that .iwi.nz had enough character to be a separate domain, but they were worried about how people would react. Don discussed it with his mother, Professor (later Dame) Evelyn Stokes, a member of the Waitangi Tribunal. From that discussion came the view that registrants should have some level of representation.
In the early days of .nz there was no distinction between “open” and “moderated” domains. In effect, every domain was moderated by hand, though to different degrees: .co.nz got a casual check, while .govt.nz, .mil.nz and others were scrutinised much more closely.
A brief registration guideline was written, which said that to be eligible for .iwi.nz an iwi had to have a legal trust board. At the time this excluded most iwi. The domain was created and run alongside .govt.nz and .mil.nz from Victoria University of Wellington.
Until 1997, moderating .iwi.nz (like .govt.nz and .mil.nz) was Don Stokes’s responsibility, although Lloyd Parkes did most of the front-line DNS work, including first-pass moderation. Moderation mainly involved discussing with registrants whether a name was appropriate.
Moderation of .iwi.nz was handled entirely in-house, with outside help to be sought if things became difficult. Only two notable cases were reported. In one, someone tried to register k.iwi.nz (this happened again as late as 2013). In the other, Tainui Corporation applied to register but was declined because of the iwi versus commercial distinction, which was still an issue in 2017.
InternetNZ once considered that .iwi.nz represented all Māori, and that the proposal for .maori.nz should therefore be declined. Don Stokes pointed out that .iwi.nz was intended for representative organisations, so the proposed .maori.nz would have a quite different set of registrants. .iwi.nz was not “the Māori domain”.
On 1 August 1999, ISOCNZ (now InternetNZ) wrote to the then Minister of Māori Affairs, Tau Henare. The letter said that if a moderator for .iwi.nz could not be found by 15 September 1999, the domain would be closed to new registrations until one was. Soon after, Aroha Mead, formerly of Te Puni Kōkiri, was appointed interim moderator while a permanent one was found. In 2001 Frank March and Sue Leader appointed Karaitiana Taiuru as moderator of .iwi.nz, after a meeting in Wellington with them and Aroha Mead. At the time of writing (2017), Karaitiana Taiuru is still the moderator.
Karaitiana Taiuru was then Chair of the New Zealand Māori Internet Society. He used the society’s large membership to consult on and support changes that made .iwi.nz more inclusive of all stakeholder iwi, including Moriori, who at the time were not recognised as an iwi.
When the Domain Name Commission was established, formal agreements were signed between the Commission and the moderators of the moderated domains (.govt.nz, .mil.nz, .cri.nz and .iwi.nz), making the process more formal than before. This was mostly good for moderated domain holders and the .nz community. But it made it harder to consult with iwi in a culturally appropriate way.
For consultation, the Domain Name Commission introduced a formal letter sent from the DNC to each iwi organisation (to the person named in the public record of the domain name, the WHOIS). Any change to the moderation policy required a formal response of support within a short time frame. Up to the time of writing in 2017, this formality has stalled the growth of .iwi.nz. The policy has fallen out of date as iwi increasingly set up commercial, social and other entities following Treaty settlements and investments, and to better represent their tribal members.
It is normal for the contacts on an .iwi.nz domain, as for any organisation’s domain, to be someone in the IT department (technical contact) and someone in accounts (billing contact). It would be highly unusual for a CEO or director to be a contact for their organisation’s domain name. Likewise, tribal leaders will not have their names associated with an .iwi.nz registration.
Much of the early information above was provided by Don Stokes. The information from 2000 onwards is based on my own recollections and emails.
Correspondence with Don Stokes
The following email exchange between Don Stokes and Karaitiana Taiuru is the main source for the early history above. It is reproduced as written.
Don Stokes to Karaitiana Taiuru
I was the one who took the lead in creating the domain. I can’t find the original emails, but my recollection is that the suggestion for it came from Ngai Tahu to John Houlker, who then put it up for discussion on the Tuia Technical Working Group list. I believe it was late ’94. ISOCNZ took over responsibility for domain registrations mid-late ’95.
I discussed it with John, and we agreed that it had sufficient character to be a separate domain, but we were worried about reactions. I discussed it with my mother (Professor, later Dame, Evelyn Stokes, who was a member of the Waitangi Tribunal), and from that wrote up a brief guideline for registrations. Then we created the domain, running it alongside govt.nz and mil.nz out of VUW.
Note that at that stage there was no “open” vs “moderated” dichotomy in domain name registrations. Effectively, all domains were “moderated” (manually), although the level of moderation varied – co.nz was pretty much a casual eyeballing, whereas govt.nz, mil.nz et al received much more scrutiny. For iwi.nz, we wanted to ensure that anyone registering in the domain provided some level of representation, e.g. trust boards and so-on.
The legend, mostly promulgated by Jim Higgins, that the moderation policy for iwi.nz was, “Don just asks his Mum”, is untrue. Moderation of iwi.nz (as with govt.nz & mil.nz) was basically my responsibility (although Lloyd Parkes did most of the front line DNS work, including first cuts at moderation) until 1997, and it was mainly discussing appropriateness with registrants. For iwi.nz, we did this entirely internally. We might have got external help if things had got ugly, and some people (especially Jim) were a bit frightened of that. (I wasn’t.) In fact, only two even slightly interesting cases spring to mind, one where some idiot tried to register “k.iwi.nz”, and secondly when Tainui Corporation came to register we explained the iwi vs commercial distinction, and they chose to register as tainui.co.nz as being more appropriate. Neither of these were in the slightest danger of being controversial.
Maori.nz came later, after the NZ domain had been taken over by ISOCNZ and was being run by Domainz. I was asked by Jim and Patrick O’Brien whether Maori registrations should be bumped to iwi.nz, and I pointed out that iwi.nz was intended for representative organisations, and as such the proposed maori.nz would have a quite different registrant community, so no, iwi.nz wasn’t “the Maori domain”. The application was processed under the 2LD policy of the time, I think around 2000. The discussion around maori.nz dates back to at least ’97 though.
Hope that helps. Feel free to ask if I’ve missed anything.
Karaitiana Taiuru to Don Stokes
Hi Don,
I appreciate your assistance with this now and in having the foresight to create and manage iwi.nz. I have a few immediate questions based on your response.
I have been moderating .iwi.nz since 2000 when Aroha Mead at TPK was moderating. I was told in 2000 by ISOCNZ that .iwi.nz was to be removed from the DNS if a suitable moderator could not be found. As you allude to below, I suspect some people were scared if Iwi and I have had some good debates with a private company wanting to register k.iwi.nz and with a few larger Iwi.
The Tuia Group email discussions would be valuable for my research. Do you know of anyone else whom I could contact that may also have a copy of the email discussions?
Is there any reasons why at the time you were asked by Jim and Patrick O’Brien about Maori registrations that it was not deemed worth while to create a .maori.nz then? Was that also 1997?
As with the Native Americans nsn, was there any discussion about a .iwi.govt.nz sub domain or similar?
Again, many warm thanks for your co-operation.
Regards,
Karaitiana Taiuru
Don Stokes to Karaitiana Taiuru
Hi Karaitiana,
I’m trying to think who would have a complete copy of that discussion. It was on the Tuia Technical Working Group list. Frank March might have a copy, but I don’t know if he kept everything. I recall that there wasn’t much email on the subject; at least some of the discussion was done over the phone. My email archive prior to 1995 is extremely patchy (but fairly complete after that).
I do have the text of the ’94 guideline though, although no date on it (it was included in an a couple of email conversations in ’96 & ’97). It reads:
The organisation requesting a name should have a bona fide interest in it, and should have some sort of statutory claim to represent the group that the name suggests it represents, such as being a recognised iwi authority or Maori Trust Board.
Names should be based on the registered name of the organisation requesting the name. By allocating such names on a first come, first served basis, we should avoid problems with small organisations claiming a name that indicates that they represent a larger group. There is a problem that some groups have quite long names, such as the Tauranga Moana Maori Trust — I would hesitate to put it in as tauranga.iwi.nz (too generic), preferring taurangamoana or tauranga-moana.
Ultimately, these are guidelines only, and we have no interest in being seen to be dictating to the Maori community.
As you can see from the wording, it was written more as a, “here’s how we’re going to do this” email, rather than a formal document. But for a long time that’s pretty much all we had.
The “maori.nz” question had been bubbling along for a while. Partly, there was some disquiet about creating a domain that was distinguished by race rather than organisation type. (Iwi.nz was still delineated by type of organisation, although I was once accused of being “politically correct” in backing it.) But the real roadblock was that ISOCNZ took a while to get to grips with how new second level domains should be proposed, supported and created. There had after all been travesties like the “cri.nz” domain before ISOCNZ took over (it literally happened in the middle of the night). Once a workable process for creating new 2LDs was in place, the Maori Internet Society application (which I recall you were driving) was the first one off the block.
I don’t recall a discussion about an iwi.govt.nz domain. It would have been outside any moderation policy that was ever in place (govt.nz domains are allocated to Government departments and local Councils based on the names of the organisations), so if the subject had ever been raised, it would have been dropped fairly quickly.
Regarding shutting iwi.nz down for lack of moderation, I found this letter (cc’d to the ISOCNZ Council list) from 1 August ’99:
Hon Tau Henare
Minister of Maori Affairs
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTONDear Mr Henare
The Internet Society of New Zealand (ISOCNZ) is the body charged with administering the New Zealand portion of the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). We have the obligation to set policies for domains to be registered under *.nz such as parliament.govt.nz or telecom.co.nz.
We currently have the *.nz portion of the DNS divided into ten second level domains which people actually register in. Six of these are unmoderated (anyone may register) and these are:
- .ac.nz (intended for tertiary educational institutions)
- .co.nz (intended for commercial organisations)
- .gen.nz (intended for general or personal use)
- .net.nz (intended for Internet and network providers)
- .org.nz (intended for non profit organisations)
- .school.nz (intended for schools)
We also have four moderated second level domains. These are ones where an organisation moderates the domain on behalf of a defined community of interest, and only people or organisations approved by the moderator can register names there. The four moderated domains are:
- .cri.nz (for Crown Research Institutes)
- .govt.nz (for central and local government bodies)
- .iwi.nz (for Maori “tribes” and “trust boards”)
- .mil.nz (for NZ military organisations)
.cri.nz is moderated by the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology, .govt.nz by a Governmental IT Committee and local body committee and .mil.nz by the NZ Defence Force.
It is with iwi.nz we have a problem which is why we are writing to you seeking assistance.
For sometime now ISOCNZ has been unable to find a suitable organisation that will moderate iwi.nz on behalf of the community it represents and basically decide which organisations/people are allowed to register domain names under iwi.nz (such as ngaitahu.iwi.nz) and whether the name they wish to settle is appropriate.
ISOCNZ believes it is most inappropriate for ISOCNZ to itself be deciding what organisations are legitimate Iwi and which are not, let alone who the lawful representatives may be. We have however been unable to identify an organisation or person who will agree to take over the moderation of iwi.nz. We do not however wish to turn iwi.nz into an unmoderated domain as allowing names such as kkk.iwi.nz to be registered could prove inflammatory.
As a last resort we are writing to you as Minister of Maori Affairs to see if you or your Department may be able to assist in finding an appropriate organisation or individual who would be able to moderate iwi.nz on behalf of its community. We are most happy to meet with you or your staff to discuss this matter further or facilitate a solution.
ISOCNZ Council has resolved that if a suitable moderator can not be found by 15 September 1999, then it will reluctantly have to close the domain iwi.nz down to any further registrations until a moderator can be located. This would not affect existing domains but would prevent any further Iwi registering under iwi.nz. This is our least preferred option and one we would rather avoid if at all possible.
If you wish to discuss the issue further please feel free to contact either myself or another member of ISOCNZ’s Council, David Farrar, who has been involved with this issue.
Yours sincerely
Jim Higgins
ChairNote that there was no suggestion that it be removed, just that new registrations wouldn’t be accepted.
— don
Growth, 1994–2016
| Year | Registrations |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 0 |
| 1995 | 1 |
| 1996 | 2 |
| 1997 | 3 |
| 1998 | 8 |
| 1999 | 11 |
| 2000 | 18 |
| 2001 | 24 |
| 2002 | 34 |
| 2003 | 45 |
| 2004 | 54 |
| 2005 | 54 |
| 2006 | 56 |
| 2007 | 59 |
| 2008 | 64 |
| 2009 | 70 |
| 2010 | 78 |
| 2011 | 77 |
| 2012 | 77 |
| 2013 | 85 |
| 2014 | 84 |
| 2015 | 92 |
| 2016 | 103 |
Directory of iwi and domains (as at December 2016)
This directory lists all current .iwi.nz domain names. It is compiled from public information and moderation emails, so it may differ slightly if a domain name has not been renewed.
| Registered iwi | .iwi.nz domain(s) |
|---|---|
| Hauraki | hauraki.iwi.nz |
| He Kainga Tuwharetoa | tuwharetoa.iwi.nz tuwharetoa-matauranga.iwi.nz |
| He Toa Takitini | hetoatakitini.iwi.nz |
| Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust | heretaungatamatea.iwi.nz |
| Horowhenua Lake Trust | horowhenualaketrust.iwi.nz |
| Iwi Moderator | register.iwi.nz |
| Kahungunu ki Wairarapa | kahungunuwairarapa.iwi.nz kkw.iwi.nz |
| Mandated iwi authority of Ngati Rangitane | rangitaane.iwi.nz |
| Maniapoto Tribal Trust Board | maniapoto.iwi.nz |
| Muaupoko Tribal Authority | muaupoko.iwi.nz |
| Nga Hapu o Ngaruahine Iwi | ngaruahine.iwi.nz |
| Ngā Puhi | tehauoraongapuhi.iwi.nz |
| Nga Punawai o Te Tokotoru | tapuika.iwi.nz |
| Nga Rauru Iwi Authority Society Inc | ngarauru.iwi.nz |
| Nga Taonga O Ngaitakoto Trust | ngaitakoto.iwi.nz |
| Ngaati Whanaunga Incorporated Society | ngaatiwhanaunga.iwi.nz |
| Ngai Tai Iwi Authority | ngaitai.iwi.nz |
| Ngai Tāmanuhiri | tamanuhiri.iwi.nz |
| Ngai te Rangi Settlement Trust | ngaiterangi.iwi.nz |
| Ngai Te Rangihouhiri | terangihouhiri.iwi.nz |
| Ngai Tuhoe | tuhoe.iwi.nz twa.iwi.nz ngaituhoe.iwi.nz |
| Ngai Tuteauru Trust | ngaituteauru.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Apa ki te Ra To | ngatiapakitearto.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Hako | hako.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Haua Trust | ngatihaua.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Hauiti | ngatihauiti.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Hei | ngatihei.iwi.nz |
| Ngāti Hikairo ki Kawhia | ngatihikairo.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Hine | ngatihine.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Hinewaka me ona Karangaranga Claim Committee | hinewaka.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Koata Trust Board | koata.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Kuia | ngatikuia.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Kuri Iwi Trust Board | ngatikuri.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Manuhiri | ngatimanuhiri.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Maru | ngatimaru.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Mutunga | ngatimutunga.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Paoa Iwi Trust Board | ngatipaoa.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Rangi | ngatirangi.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Rangi Development Society | ngatirangingapuhi.iwi.nz ngatirangitaiamai.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Rangi Trust | kahuimaunga.iwi.nz paerangi.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Ranginui Society | ngatiranginui.iwi.nz ranginui.iwi.nz |
| Ngāti Rangitihi Trust | rangitihi.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Rehia | ngatirehia.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Tama Manawhenua ki te tau ihu Trust | ngati-tama.iwi.nz |
| Ngāti Tamaterā Treaty Settlement Trust | tamatera.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Tara Tokanui Trust | ngatitaratokanui.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Te Ata Claims Whanau | ngatiteata.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Toa | ngatitoa.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Uenuku Claims Committee | ngatiuenuku.iwi.nz uenuku.iwi.nz uta.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Wai Trust Board | ngatiwai.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Whakaue | ngatiwhakaue.iwi.nz |
| Ngati Whatua o Kaipara | ngatiwhatuakaipara.iwi.nz |
| Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa Trust Board | ngatikahukiwhangaroa.iwi.nz |
| Rangitāne o Wairarapa | rangitane.iwi.nz |
| Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust | rongomaiwahine.iwi.nz |
| Rongowhakaata | rongowhakaata.iwi.nz |
| Ruatoko Tribal Authority | tehuiahureiatuhoe.iwi.nz |
| Taranaki Iwi Trust | tkot.iwi.nz taranaki.iwi.nz |
| Tatau Tatau o Te Wairoa Tribal Authority | ttotw.iwi.nz |
| Tauwhenua O Heretaunga Trust | ttoh.iwi.nz |
| Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti Iwi Incorporated | te-aitanga-a-hauiti.iwi.nz |
| Te Atiawa | teatiawa.iwi.nz |
| Te Aupouri | teaupouri.iwi.nz |
| Te Hika o Papauma Mandated Iwi Authority | papauma.iwi.nz tehikaopapauma.iwi.nz |
| Te Iwi o Ngati Tukorehe | tukorehe.iwi.nz |
| Te Kaahui O Rauru | rauru.iwi.nz |
| Te Kawerau a Maki | tekawerau.iwi.nz |
| Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust | ngaaruahine.iwi.nz ngāruahine.iwi.nz ngatirangitihi.iwi.nz |
| Te Maru O Ruahine Trust | ngatihauiti.iwi.nz ngati-hauiti.iwi.nz |
| Te Papatipu o Uepohatu Charitable Trust | uepohatu.iwi.nz |
| Te Patukirikiri Iwi Inc | patukirikiri.iwi.nz |
| Te Roroa | teroroa.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga A Iwi O Ngapuhi | ngapuhi.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu | kaitahu.iwi.nz tewaka.iwi.nz kāitahu.iwi.nz ngaitahu.iwi.nz ngāitahu.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Ngaiti Kahungunu | kahungunu.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Ngati Apa | ngatiapa.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Ngati Awa | ngatiawa.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Ngati Porou | ngatiporou.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Ngati Tahu Ngati Whaoa | tahu-whaoa.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Ngati Whare | ngatiwhare.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Ngati Whatua | ngatiwhatua.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Onuku | onuku.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga O Raukawa | raukawa.iwi.nz rwo.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Te Rarawa | tehiku.iwi.nz terarawa.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Tuahuriri | tuahiwimarae.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Turanganui a Kiwa | trotak.iwi.nz |
| Te Runanga o Whaingaroa | whaingaroa.iwi.nz |
| Te Rūnanga-a-Iwi o Ngāti Kahu | ngatikahu.iwi.nz |
| Te Taumutu Rūnanga | tetaumuturunanga.iwi.nz |
| Te Tawharau o Ngati Pukenga | ngatipukenga.iwi.nz |
| Te Tira Kokiri O Te Wairoa | tetirawhakaemi.iwi.nz |
| Te Uru Taumatua | teurewera.iwi.nz |
| The Proprietors of Ngati Whakaue Tribal Lands | whakaue.iwi.nz |
| Tuhoe Tribal Authority | waikaremoanatribal.iwi.nz |
| Waitaha | waitaha.iwi.nz |
Conclusion
.iwi.nz exists because a small number of people saw early on that iwi needed an authentic, protected place on the internet. It survived because of voluntary work. In 1999 the domain came close to being closed to new registrations because no one would moderate it. Karaitiana Taiuru took on the role soon after and moderated .iwi.nz without payment for more than two decades. During that time he rewrote the policy so that hapū, taurahere groups, Mandated Iwi Organisations and Moriori could register. He kept iwi names out of the hands of cybersquatters, and the domain grew from a handful of names to more than a hundred.
In late 2022 Dr Taiuru suggested to the Domain Name Commission how moderation could be made more resilient. He proposed appointing further moderators to work alongside him as a panel, and passing on the knowledge the role needs to other potential leaders. That is not what happened. The Domain Name Commissioner removed Dr Taiuru as moderator and, in 2024–25, gave the moderation of .iwi.nz to Tū Ātea Limited, a Māori-owned business with no iwi mandate.
This decision brings back the question that has run through the history of .iwi.nz since 1994: who has the authority to decide who is iwi? In 1999 ISOCNZ itself said it was “most inappropriate” for it to decide which organisations are legitimate iwi. Under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tino rangatiratanga over iwi identity rests with iwi and hapū. Yet the decision about which iwi, hapū and taurahere groups may hold a .iwi.nz name now sits with a private company chosen by the Domain Name Commission, not by iwi.
For more than two decades, .iwi.nz showed what a domain built for iwi, and accountable to iwi, could look like. Its future depends on whether the Commission recognises that moderating iwi names is a matter of iwi authority, not a service contract.
How to cite this page
Taiuru, K. (2026, November 11). Dot Iwi dot NZ history. Taiuru & Associates Ltd. https://www.taiuru.co.nz/dot-iwi-dot-nz-history/