In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori populations. The word iwi means "people" or "folk"; in many contexts it may mean "tribe" or "clan", and sometimes a larger grouping of tribes. Anthropological research indicates that most Māori in pre-European times gave their primary allegiance to relatively small groups such as whānau (extended families) or hapū (sub-tribes). Bones or roots In the Māori language, iwi also means "bones". The… (More on Iwi)