In tikanga MÃÂori (MÃÂori culture or practice), a (runaka in Southern MÃÂori dialect) is a tribal council, assembly, board or boardroom. The term can also be a verb meaning "to discuss in an assembly". An iwi (tribe) can have one governing rà «nanga and many sub rà «nanga. In such cases it can be used to mean the subdivision of a tribe governed by that council. It is also used for non tribal affiliations as with the CTU Runanga a sub union for MÃÂori workers.
The leader or representative of a rà «nanga is sometimes referred to as Te Upoku o Te Rà «nanga (literally "The head of the rà «nanga").
The Rà «nanga System (1861âÂÂ1863) constituted a system of MÃÂori self-government devised by Governor George Grey, to be comparable to the provinces. The plan was for them to be led by European commissioners. The system was never fully implemented and was cancelled due to the New Zealand Wars.
Rà «nanga as a broad definition can be seen as the way groups make or attempt to make decisions. MÃÂori groups and councils debate and discuss issues in a vast array of different ways which, while informed by the past, have changed greatly over the last century.