Te Wai Pounamu (Principia Moderni III Map Game)

The Te Wai Pounamu are one of two Maori tribes located on the South Island of New Zealand. They are the greater of the two, by a wide margin, and as such they control the majority of the island, with only the northernmost tip being in the control of Te Tau Ihu O Te Waka, the other South Island tribe. They are the largest Maori tribe of New Zealand, and are also the dominant cultural and military power of the islands.

Pre-History
The history of the Maori began with the colonization of New Zealand by Eastern Polynesians around 1280. They travelled over from Hawaiki, they mystical homeland in Polynesia. These Polynesians travelled over on large ocean-going waka. In this period, the Otago region of the South Island became the cultural center of the Maori. It was this, in combination with the abundant birdlife, that led to the South Island's Maori populations growing extensively, and at a much greater rate than on the North Island. It was during this period, at around 1350, that the Iwi, Maori tribe, of Te Wai Pounamu, was formed. Over the next one hundred years, the Te Wai Pounamu grew, and gained strength as a military power, utilizing Pounamu, greenstone, in the use of weapons to gain an edge over their opponents. However, this growth came at a cost, with birdlife populations suffering greatly. With the Moa, Adzebill, and Haast's Eagle being pushed closer and closer to extinction. Something which became more and more obvious to the Maori of Te Wai Pounamu, as their hunts increased in difficulty. Leading to the need for either greater land to harvest from, or a change to the Maori way of life to greater utilize the resources available to them. Which Te Wai Pounamu must now address.