While the High Medieval Period is famous for its warrior and martial cultures, there are some military leaders who really stand out above the rest. These are the men known not merely as great fighters, but as generals whose successes are studied even to this day. The ten figures on this list are those known for their unique and noteworthy military abilities during roughly the period of 1000-1300 CE.   1. Saladin, 1137-1193 Statue of Saladin in Al-Karak, Jordan, by Petar Milošević. Source: Wikimedia Commons   In a fascinating coincidence, two of the period’s foremost military leaders battled against one another in the Third Crusade. Richard the Lionheart of England and Saladin were remarkable adversaries and had unique strengths and weaknesses that mirrored those of the other.   To begin, Saladin, born to a military official in Iraq, gained experience serving the Zengid Dynasty defending Syria from the Crusader States, and helping to conquer Egypt. Eventually, however, Saladin turned on his former masters and made himself the independent Sultan of Egypt and Syria. Then he turned his attention to the Crusader state of Jerusalem. In a series of brilliant campaigns, Saladin weakened the Crusader’s control of the Holy Land and then baited the Crusaders into a decisive defeat at Hattin in 1187. Shortly thereafter, he captured Jerusalem and left the Crusaders clinging onto the city of Tyre as their only power base in the region.   Saladin’s brilliance was in his grand strategy and choice of engagements. He knew the Crusaders were well-defended behind city walls and their knights were more than a match for his men in open combat. So, he used his army to bait them from behind their walls and then pulled back, harassing the heavy Crusader knights with his lighter-mounted archers. He led the Crusaders to Hattin, where he was able to surround them and cut them off from their supply of water, letting thirst and attrition destroy his enemy. After this success, however, the Third Crusade was called and Richard I, King of England entered the fray.   2. Richard the Lionheart, 1157-1199 Richard the Lionheart outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Source: Geograph.org.uk   Richard I of England earned his epithet “the Lionheart” for his legendary bravery, but he was also a brilliant battlefield tactician and military commander. He first took command at just 16, spending several years alternating between rebelling against his father Henry II, and fighting for him against other rebels. He ascended to the throne after his father and older brother died but quickly set off on the Third Crusade. On the way he successfully captured Cyprus for the Crusaders, and then captured Acre, beginning the start of a counter-offensive against Saladin.   Richard was a strict disciplinarian and an innovator, utilizing a greater number of crossbows in his army to counter the horse archers of Saladin. He confounded Saladin by refusing to fall for the same tricks Saladin had used on previous Crusader armies, preventing his forces in the field from chasing and harassing units or falling for feigned retreats.   In the field, Richard was arguably the superior tactician, but Saladin seemingly had the edge in terms of grand strategy. Twice Richard defeated Saladin at Arsuf and Jaffa, and after both, he looked set to capture Jerusalem, but both times Saladin was able to retreat his forces, deny Richard supplies, and allow time and disunity among the other Crusader leaders to prevent Richard from taking the city. The Crusade ended in a truce with Jerusalem remaining in Muslim hands but with Christian pilgrims free to enter the city.   Richard I the Lionheart, King of England, by Merry-Joseph Bondel, 1841. Source: French Ministry of Culture   Richard the brilliant battlefield tactician and Saladin the masterful grand strategist serve as illuminating contrasts when looking at medieval warfare. There is plenty to speculate about as to how history could have changed had one gotten the better of the other, and if the two had joined forces such a military duo would have been hard to beat. That last suggestion appears fanciful on paper, but the two had seemingly great respect for each other, and at one point while negotiating the truce, it was suggested Saladin’s brother would marry Richard’s sister!   3. Rajendra Chola, 971-1044 Painting of Rajendra Chola at the National War Museum in Pune, India. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The Chola Empire was a major power in Southern India during the Middle Ages. Arguably the greatest ruler of the dynasty was Rajendra Chola, who expanded the empire to yet greater heights. He began his military career under his father Rajaraja, taking part in both land and naval expeditions. Rajendra commanded with distinction during invasions of the Maldives and Sri Lanka as well as raids on neighboring kingdoms in the Indian subcontinent. In 1014, Rajendra ascended to the throne and soon made it his clear ambition to increase the prestige of his dynasty and the size of his dominions.   He first finalized the conquest of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, before turning his attention inland. In the early 1020s, he engaged and defeated several kingdoms in Southern India, often invading on multiple fronts. Soon he had expanded his empire west and northwards and was even able to capture territory along the sacred Ganges River, where he built a new capital. This was an astonishing achievement in and of itself, but Rajendra still had greater plans. In the late 1020s, he attacked the Srivijaya dynasty of Indonesia and in a series of brilliant naval expeditions, he plundered cities across the Malay peninsula and Sumatra, even going as far as Singapore!   It is unclear how often, as emperor, Rajendra commanded in the field, leaving that to his brother Araiyan Rajarajan, but Rajendra was no doubt a great tactician in his own right and a brilliant grand strategist. He often launched sudden and fast-moving campaigns against multiple enemies at once. He combined the two arms of his army well, using his navy to supply his army along the coast and even using it to sail along the Ganges to strike at the heart of enemy territory during his northern campaigns.   4. Baybars, 1223-1277 Bust of Baybars outside the National Military Museum in Cairo. Source: Wikimedia Commons   In the 1230s CE, a young Kipchak boy was captured and enslaved in what is now Ukraine following a Mongol raid. He was sold in Egypt and trained to become a Mamluk or elite slave soldier. In a twist of fate, the boy, Baybars, would become the nemesis of the Mongols in the Near East and one of the fiercest warriors of the age.   Baybars’s military aptitude was swiftly put to use by the ruling Ayyubid Dynasty of Egypt. In 1250 CE, he defeated part of the Seventh Crusade at the siege of Al Mansirah. His star continued to rise when the Mamluks seized power from the Ayyubids and Baybars became the right-hand man of the new Sultan, Qutuz.   Together they repelled an invasion by the Mongol Ilkhanate at Ain Jalut—personal vengeance for Baybars and an unprecedented victory against the Mongols. Baybars, however, had greater ambitions and assassinated Qutuz to become Sultan in his own right and carry out yet greater military accomplishments.   First, he attacked the Crusader States, seizing Antioch, Jaffa, and even the legendary Crusader castle of Krak Des Chevaliers. In a mirroring of Saladin and Richard, this led to the Ninth Crusade—led by another English king, Edward. However, the two never actually fought and the Crusade ended before the territory changed hands. Baybars then turned south and subjugated the Christian kingdom of Makuria, in modern-day Sudan, which had long been a thorn in the side of Islamic Egypt. His final campaign before his death saw him once again take victory over a Mongol invasion at Elbistan.   Baybars, Mamluk ruler in the Baptistère de Saint Louis, Médaillon IV, 1320–1340. Source: The Louvre   The Mongols Baybars faced may have been a more fractured force than the unrelenting horsemen that Genghis Khan had led across the globe 40 years previously, but Baybars’s repeated successes against them were still astonishing. Baybars used the backbone of his army, the Mamluk cavalry, to perfection. They were heavily armored horsemen, but used a bow to fight at range, allowing them to compete with both Christian knights and the Mongol horse archers.   Baybars turned his kingdom into a war machine to defeat his foes, building highly developed arsenals to equip his troops. He was also a ruthlessly cunning commander, often using deception and false reports to mislead his enemy about the army’s whereabouts. Indeed, at his first battle at Al Mansirah, he tricked the besieging Crusaders by opening the gates of the city and making it appear abandoned, before shutting the gates again when the Crusaders had entered and falling upon his now trapped enemy with his army that was hiding in the city center.    5. John Komnenos, 1087-1143 Mosaic of John II Komnenos inside the Hagia Sophia, photo by Dosseman. Source: Wikimedia Commons   After the shock defeat at the Battle of Manzikert in 1070 against the Seljuk Turks, the Byzantine Empire seemed in very poor shape. However, in 1081, the new Emperor Alexios Komnenos, after a small setback at the Battle of Dyrrhachium, oversaw the empire’s remarkable revival by the beginning of the 12th century. Alexios reformed the Byzantine military and diplomatically stabilized the Empire, but it would be his son John who would reignite the empire’s military might. Ascending to the throne in 1118 CE, John added to the reforms of his father but went one step further by putting the empire fully back on the offensive.   After securing the Balkans by defeating Pecheneg and Hungarian incursions, John turned his attention to driving back the Seljuks in Anatolia. In a series of steady, methodical campaigns, John succeeded in recapturing almost all of the western coast of modern-day Turkey and much of the southern coast. He recaptured Cilicia and even advanced into northern Syria, campaigning alongside the Crusader States that had recently conquered much of the Levant and Syria upon invitation by Alexios.   John’s military strength lay in the patience of his strategy and his brilliance as a besieger. John focused on small but consistent advances against the Seljuks and securing these gains before ending his campaigns and returning the next year. This gave him time to return to Constantinople to reduce the threat of plots against his reign in his absence and also ensured his other frontiers were stable.   On campaign, John avoided risking his army and all his gains on pitched battles. Instead, he focused on capturing enemy strongholds to ensure progress and keep his gains secure after ending the campaign.   6. El Cid, 1043-1099 El Cid, Section from Jura de Santa Gadea, by Marcos Hiraldez Acosta, 1864. Source: Senate of Spain   Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar is one of Spain’s most celebrated folk heroes. He was born in the mid-11th century, during the turbulent period when Spain was divided between several Christian kingdoms in the north, and the Islamic Taifas of Al-Andalus or Moorish Spain in the south. He first rose to prominence as a military leader in the service of King Sancho II of Castille, expanding his master’s territory against Christian and Moorish enemies alike. However, he was then exiled in 1079 by Sancho’s brother and heir Alfonso, whom he had previously defeated in battle.   Despite his exile, soldiers still flocked to his banner and soon Rodrigo found employment with the Taifa of Zaragoza, another former enemy. As loyal and capable a soldier under an Islamic liege as a Christian one, Rodrigo continued to win military glory, earning the title of “El Cid,” a Spanish translation of the Arabic “Al-Sayyid,” or “The Lord,” and “Campeador,” meaning “Champion” in Spanish.   In 1087, Alphonso recalled El Cid from exile to defend against an invasion by the Almoravids of Morocco. Once again, El Cid loyally supported his liege, but another dispute led to a second exile. This time, El Cid established himself as an independent ruler of the city of Valencia. He successfully defended his new fief from the Almoravids and all other comers until his death in 1099 CE.   The Cid and Five Moorish Kings, by William Ewart Lockhart, 1880. Source: Art UK   What makes El Cid notable in the pantheon of medieval military leaders is the loyalty he earned from his soldiers and his ability to win against great odds. His personal bravery and readiness to lead from the front encouraged this loyalty in his men. However, part of his success came from an uncanny ability for tactical timing and his sense of when exactly to launch decisive maneuvers. At the battle of Golpejera in 1072, he advised King Sancho to counterattack after initially being forced to retreat. El Cid led a dawn charge, catching their enemy—who had spent the night celebrating their presumed victory—completely unaware.   7. Genghis Khan, 1162-1227 Monument to Genghis Khan in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, photo by Bernard Gagnon. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Few leaders in history enjoy a reputation as notorious as that of Genghis Khan. The personification of conquest and plunder, Genghis needs little introduction. Yet the man born Temujin Borjigin on the banks of the Onon River seemed unlikely to reach the heights that he did. As a child, his family was abandoned by the rest of his tribe when his father died. He survived, thanks to the determination of his mother who taught him the skills to survive on the steppe, but his early life was one of extreme hardship.   Through sheer determination, cunning, and superb military and political ability, Temujin rose to prominence as a soldier and leader. Gradually he gained power until he was able to unite all the clans of the steppe and obtained the title of supreme or great ruler: Genghis Khan. However, this was not the end of his ambition, and soon he and his men would create the largest land empire the world has ever seen.   It is difficult to adequately summarize just how stunning and dramatic Genghis’s rise to power and military success were. His lowly start made his future success even more incredible and enabled him to reform traditional Mongolian society into a formidable fighting force. Genghis promoted his generals based on ability, not aristocratic connections, giving him the best quality subordinates. Likewise, he remade the traditional clan system into a simple but effective organizational system. Each man belonged to a band of ten, ten of those bands formed a group of 100, and so on, until the highest division of 10,000 men — known as a Tumen.   Colossal Genghis Khan Statue, Mongolia. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The Tumens could operate semi-independently, giving Genghis and the Mongols greater strategic flexibility. He also ensured a portion of all plunder taken was put into a fund for the families of his dead and living soldiers, meaning forces could stay on campaign for longer while still supporting their families.   Aside from these reforms, Genghis was a brilliant field commander. There are many stories of his tactical brilliance but perhaps the most astonishing was his invasion of the Khwarazm Empire. In 1220, Genghis deceived the Shah of the Khwarazm Empire by besieging the border forts between their empires. Then he himself led his main force across the seemingly impassible Kyzyl Kum Desert using a carefully managed supply system to strike into the empire’s heart with no warning.   8. Edward I, 1239-1307  Portrait of Edward I in the Royal Genealogy of English Kings, 13th century. Source: British Library   Edward I, also known as “Longshanks,” is perhaps best known as the villain of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, but there is much more to this King of England than was depicted in the 1995 epic. Edward’s career as a commander began with the Battle of Evesham in 1265, where he defeated the rebellion of Baron Simon De Monfort, and continued when he led the Ninth Crusade.   When he became King in 1274, Edward initially focused on domestic reform, but he soon found himself returning to military matters. He first invaded Wales, initially in retribution for its previous support for the de Monfort rebellion. However, the conflict soon developed into a full-blown conquest of Wales, a feat many previous English kings had tried but failed to achieve.   Most famous of all though was his intervention in Scotland, where Edward took an invitation to be a neutral arbiter in a dispute over the Scottish crown as an opportunity to become overlord of Scotland. When his suzerainty was disputed by his chosen king and the Scottish nobility, Edward invaded and captured the Stone of Scone, the legendary emblem of Scottish royalty.   Then came the famous rebellion of William Wallace, which saw Edward lead his final military campaign to defeat. When the English occupying forces fell victim to the guile of Wallace’s rebellion, Edward returned to Scotland and outmaneuvered Wallace, forcing him into a pitched battle at Falkirk where Edward gained a crushing victory.   Edward I (?), Westminster Abbey Portrait, 1272-1307. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Edward was undoubtedly a ruthless and brutal king. However, it is fair to acknowledge how he dedicated his life to restoring the prestige of the throne of England after the disappointing reigns of his father, Henry III, and his grandfather, John. Additionally, his military ability and talent for decisively defeating his enemies is quite impressive. He was a ruthlessly efficient conqueror, with the ability to ensure his conquest lasted, although he died before Scotland was truly subdued.   Furthermore, he succeeded in the greatest challenge for any commander: forcing an enemy using guerrilla warfare and hit-and-run tactics into a decisive battle and destroying them — not once but twice in his Welsh and Scottish campaigns.   9. Robert Guiscard, 1016-1085 Statue of Robert Guiscard outside Monte Cassino Abbey, photo by Mattis. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The warfare of 11th-century Europe was dominated by the Normans. Former Vikings who settled in northern France, they plied their trade as pre-eminent mounted warriors across Europe. William the Conqueror is arguably the most famous Norman, but in terms of military success, one name stands out: Robert de Hauteville.   Robert, known as “Guiscard,” meaning the cunning or fox-like one, clawed his way from lowly adventurer to the ruler of most of Southern Italy and Sicily in the mid-11th century. He joined the Norman mercenaries in Southern Italy, who had originally fought for the Pope and local Lombards, against the Byzantine Empire, before they turned on their erstwhile employers to rule the region themselves.   Eventually, Robert became the leader of the Normans and forged an alliance with Pope Nicholas II, who in exchange made him Duke of Apulia, Calabria, and Sicily. At the time Sicily was in fact under the rule of the Islamic Emirate of Sicily. However, Robert soon made sure his Dukedom was complete by conquering the island with his brother Roger. He then fully removed the Byzantines from Southern Italy and even invaded the Byzantine Balkans, famously defeating Emperor Alexios Komnenos at the Battle of Dyrrhachium. This would not be the only emperor he defeated, as Robert would also go on to rescue the Pope from the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, who had besieged Rome.   The surrender of Palermo, from Roger of Sicily Receiving The Keys of the City, by Giuseppe Patania, 1830. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Robert was a crafty strategist, often surprising his enemies with his maneuvers. For example, in 1061 he and Roger captured Messina in Sicily after crossing from mainland Italy overseas in the dead of night and landing right under the defending army’s nose without them knowing.   On the field, Robert perfected the newly developed massed lance charge of the Norman Knights, using it to extreme effectiveness against many enemies. The epitaph on his tomb sums Robert up quite well: “Here lies Guiscard, the terror of the world.”   10. Subutai, 1175-1248 Chinese Engraving of Subutai, 16th century. Source: XLegio.ru   While this list has not been strictly ranked, there is one name that simply stands above the rest. Subutai, also known as Subudei, was a general of Genghis Khan and without doubt one of the finest military men of all time. He was a lowborn son of a blacksmith before he became a devoted follower of Genghis and demonstrated an astonishing aptitude for warfare during the unification of the Mongol tribes. At one point he disguised himself as a deserter to falsely report to an enemy force that his army was far away, and so let down their guard, giving his own troops time to catch up to and destroy their unsuspecting foe. From there, Subutai’s talents only grew.   Subutai was one of Genghis’s top commanders, known as the “Dogs of War,” and won victory after victory for his lord in campaigns in China, Central Asia, and modern-day Ukraine. Even after Genghis died, Subutai continued to gain military glory for his lord’s descendants. In the 1240s, Subutai—now well into his 60s—orchestrated an invasion of Central Europe that saw several more stunning victories. The rest of Europe was only spared when the death of Genghis’s successor, Ogedei Khan, necessitated the return of the Mongols back to their homeland to choose a new ruler. His military accomplishments continued with further victories against the Song Dynasty in China until his death in 1248.   Mongol Empire’s conquest of Chinese regimes including Western Liao, Jurchen Jin, Song, Western Xia, and Dali kingdoms. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The list of Subutai’s military innovations and achievements is long. On the battlefield, he perfected the ancient Steppe tactics of horse archery and feigned retreats by implementing heavy cavalry to fall upon his foes during their pursuit of his retreating horse archers. He even used siege artillery in the field at the Battle of Mohi in 1241, driving off Hungarian crossbowmen who were defending a bridge and thus allowing his army to cross. This form of Creeping Barrage would not be seen again for several centuries.   When planning campaigns, he would use a network of spies and intelligence gatherers to give him all the information possible on his enemy and their operations. He also used the Tumen system to divide his forces and launch multiple attacks with independent armies across a wide front. This pinned his enemies down as they struggled to respond to the varied assaults, giving Subutai time to engage and defeat multiple enemy forces at once before they could link up. This form of wide front, command and control warfare would also not be seen again for several centuries.

  In New Zealand’s North and South Islands, each Māori tribe (iwi) has its own history, founding ancestor or ancestress, tribal territory (rohe), and governance structure, often based around a tribal council known as rūnanga.   The role of Māori tribes has evolved considerably in recent centuries. From the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, a turning point in the history of Māori-Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent), to the most recent initiatives to promote and preserve Māori language and traditions, Māori tribes continue to influence New Zealand’s politics, particularly on matters of land rights and resource management.   What Do We Mean by Iwi? A Māori pā (village), 1880s. Source: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa   The Māori name for “tribe” is iwi, which translates as “nation” or “people.” The tribe was the foundation of Māori life before European contact and its largest political grouping. All Māori tribes trace their origins back to the Polynesian sailors who arrived in Aotearoa/New Zealand in their large ocean-going canoes (waka) during the 13th century.   Tribal names honor Māori ancestors, both male and female, and names are usually accompanied by a prefix. The most common prefixes are Ngāti, Ngā, Ngāi, and Te Āti (“the people of” or “the offspring of”), as well as Te Whānau (meaning “the family of”), Te Kāhui (“the assemblage of”), or Ngā Uri (“the descendants of”). The name of the Ngāpuhi iwi, for instance, the largest tribe of the North Island, translates as “The People of Puhi.”   Māori treasure box (papahou) owned by an unspecified tribe from the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island, 18th century. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art   The name of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, one of the tribes from the Bay of Plenty, can be translated as “The Family of Apanui.” In pre-contact Māori society, each iwi consisted of several related hapū, that is, several clans (or descent groups) that controlled a defined portion of their iwi’s tribal territory. In times of war, the clans came together to defend their sea fisheries, their sacred volcanoes, lakes, rivers, and streams. Marriages were often the key to resolving inter-tribal disputes over land and natural resources and ensuring the survival of the hapū’s members.   Although some clans moved according to seasonal changes, various hapū usually lived in a single pā (village). During the Musket Wars, Māori clans fortified their pā with multiple rows of single wood palisades, ditches, ramparts, elevated defensive terraces, and fighting stages to protect themselves from attacks by musket-armed enemy tribes. Such villages became known as “gunfighter pā.”   Mount Ngauruhoe, on the North Island, is sacred to the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe, the custodian of the central plateau, photograph by Matthew Buchanan, 2019. Source: Unsplash   As the population increased, so did the various hapū. In some cases, larger hapū could split into smaller ones. It also happened that small splinter groups, originating from intertribal wars or forced migration, would merge. In turn, each hapū comprised at least one (but often more than one) extended family, which the Māori call whānau, and which continues to form the foundation and basic unit of Māori society. Sometimes large and powerful families, with leaders strong enough to stake their claim, would evolve into a clan, that is, one hapū, in its own right.   The North and the South Islands Map of New Zealand showing the North and the South Islands, as well as Stewart Island, south of the South Island. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Aotearoa/New Zealand consists of two main islands, the North and the South Islands, and more than 700 smaller islands, including Stewart Island, New Zealand’s third-largest island south of the South Island across the Foveaux Strait. The history of the North and South Islands and their varied landscapes is interwoven with the stories, myths, and traditions passed down from one Māori generation to another, from one tribe to another. The Māori name for the North Island, for example, is Te Ika-a-Māui, “the fish of Māui.”   According to Māori myths, the North Island was fished up by Māui, the famous trickster hero of Polynesian and Māori mythology, during a fishing expedition in the Pacific Ocean. His brothers refused to take him with them, so he hid in the canoe. When he revealed himself to them, they were already out at sea.   Rotorua on the North Island, photograph by Yoann Laheurte, 2019. Source: Unsplash   Here Māui cast a fish hook into the deep waters of the ocean and caught a fish: according to some traditions, it was a flounder, and according to others a stingray. The fish became the North Island. Māui’s brothers disobeyed his prayers and chopped up the fish, cutting off its tail, gills, head, and fins. Hence, the island’s uneven and rugged landscape. The southern part of the North Island, where Wellington was founded between 1839 and 1840, is the head of the fish. The Northland region, home to the Ngāpuhi tribe, represents the tail of the fish, while its backbone runs from Rotorua, with its hot mud pools, geysers, and lakes, to Lake Taupō. Mt Maungapōhatu, whose rugged bush ranges are sacred to the Ngāi Tūhoe, is the heart of the fish.   Stewart Island (Rakiura), 2020, photograph by Sébastien Goldberg. Source: Unsplash   While the North Island is believed to be Māui’s fish, the South Island is Māui’s canoe. It is indeed known as Te Waka-a-Māui, “the canoe of Māui.” The southern tip of the South Island represents the stern of the canoe, while its northern part north is the canoe’s prow.   Stewart Island, the hilly and forested island 30 kilometers (18-19 miles) south of the South Island, is thought to represent the canoe’s anchor. Today, the Māori call it Rakiura, which means “glowing skies,” but its original Māori name is Te Punga o Te Waka a Māui, which translates as “the anchor stone of Māui’s canoe.”   The Largest Māori Tribes of the North Island Hōne Heke, one of Māori’s most influential leaders, was a member of the Ngāpuhi tribe, watercolor by Joseph Jenner Merrett, 1845. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Three of the four largest Māori tribes by population live in New Zealand’s North Island. The Ngāpuhi iwi is Aotearoa’s largest and most influential tribe. Bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean and to the west by the Tasman Sea, its rohe (territory) occupies the island’s Northland region, the Winterless North, as many call it. Ngāpuhi’s territory stretches east to west from the Bay of Islands to Hokianga Harbor, the latter known among the Māori as Te Kohanga o Te Tai Tokerau, “the nest of the northern people.”   To the south, Ngāphui territory also includes present-day Whangārei, New Zealand’s northernmost city. The Ngāpuhi trace their ancestry back to three canoes, the Matawhaorua, Mataatua, and Ngātokimatawhaorua waka. Kupe, the legendary Polynesian explorer, entered Hokianga Harbor in his Matawhaorua canoe. With his wife Kuramārōtini, he was the first to discover New Zealand, which he named Aotearoa, “the land of the long white cloud.”   Whale at Ōkārito. Source: Canterbury Museum   The second largest Māori tribe is the Ngāti Porou, the easternmost iwi on the North Island. Its name translates as “the People of Porou,” after their most important ancestor, Porourangi. Their other founding ancestor, Paikea, is said to have sailed to Aotearoa from Hawaiki on the back of a huge whale.   The Māori claim that when Māui fished up the North Island the first peak to emerge from the depths of the Ocean, the first bit of land to be lit by the rising sun was Te Ara ki Hikurangi, known among the Pākehā population as Mt Hikurangi. Today, Hikurangi is the most sacred place of the Ngāti Porou. The tribe’s rohe runs along the coast from Gisborne (and the Te Toka-a-Taiau rock) in the south to Pōtikirua in the north. In its southern part, it extends inland to Waikaremoana.   Mt Ruapehu, in the heart of the North Island, 2021, photograph by Luca Calderone. Source: Unsplash   The fourth largest group is not a tribe, but a tribal league known as the Waikato Confederation. The confederation’s tribal rohe occupies a large area of the North Island, the Waikato region, and extends along New Zealand’s longest river, Waikato, which connects Mt Ruapehu to Lake Taupō. Among the 33 iwi (or hapū, sub-tribes, as some tend to call them) included in the confederation are the Ngāti Mahuta (the first Māori king, Te Wherowhero, belonged to this iwi), Ngāti Tamainupō (named after the tribe’s founding ancestor, Māori chief Tamainu-pō), Ngāti Māhanga (beloved children’s writer and illustrator Melanie Drewery is affiliated with the Ngāti Māhanga), and Ngāti Te Ata (the tribe of one of New Zealand’s most important female leaders Dame Ngāneko Kaihau Minhinnick). All these tribes descend from those who first came to New Zealand aboard the Tainui waka.   The South Island Māori representatives of the tribes of Te Tauihu (the Top of the South Island): Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Toa, and Ngāti Kuia tribes from the South Island, photograph by Frederick Nelson Jones, 1916. Source: Nelson Provincial Museum   Of the more than 100 Māori tribes in Aotearoa/New Zealand, the third largest by population is the Ngāi Tahu. The tribe’s name translates as “the people of Tahu,” after Tahpōtiki, one of Paikea’s grandsons (or great-grandsons). The members of the Ngāi Tahu share their ancestors with the Ngāti Porou from the North Island and trace their identity back to Paikea who arrived in New Zealand on the back of a whale to escape his murderous brother.   The story of the Ngāi Tahu is one of migrations, battles, betrayals, and intermarriages with other tribes. Today, their tribal territory covers much of the South Island, stretching from Stewart Island (Rakiura) in the south to Kahurangi Point, the northernmost point of the island’s west coast.  Originally, however, the Ngāi Tahu were a northern tribe from the Gisborne District.   According to Ngāi Tahu stories, Lake Tekapo (Takapō) was dug up by Rākaihautū, an explorer of the Waitaha tribe, later absorbed by the Ngāi Tahu, photograph by Tobias Keller, 2016. Source: Unsplash   From the North Island’s East Coast, they began their migration southward, first to the fertile Heretaunga region near present-day Hastings, then to Wellington, where they settled and ruled the area with other tribes. Eventually, in the early 18th century, some Ngāi Tahu left the North Island, crossed the Cook Strait, and landed on the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, as it is known among the Māori. Each move was accompanied by bloodshed.   During the early years of their occupation of the South Island, however, the Ngāi Tahu deliberately intermarried with the original resident tribes, learning their traditions and adopting their customs, particularly those of the Waitaha people, such as their understanding of wind patterns.   The Top of the South Island  Marlborough Sounds, the ancestral lands of the Ngāti Kuia, one of the tribes of Te Tauihu (the Top of the South Island, photograph by Mark De Jong, 2019. Source: Unsplash   The top of the South Island is known among the Māori Te Tauihu o Te Waka a Māui, “the Prow of the Canoe of Māui.” Despite being separated from the North Island by the Cook Strait, it is what we could call a transitional area in terms of tribal organization. Most of the iwi living in this region have deep ties with the North Island tribes. Some of them, such as the Ngāti Toa, Te Ātiawa, and Ngāti Koata (“the people of Koata,” named after their founding ancestress), migrated southward from the Taranaki, Waikato, and Wellington regions of the North Island.   The Ngāti Tama, for instance, were originally from Taranaki, and crossed the Cook Strait in the 1820s before participating in the 1835 invasion of the Chatham Islands, the homeland of the Moriori, along with the Ngati Mutunga.   Most of the tribes from the Top of the South Island migrated south from the North Island’s Taranaki region, pictured here, on North Island, photograph by Raquel Moss, 2021. Source: Unsplash   The Rangitāne’s rohe occupies different regions across New Zealand’s two islands. In the North Island, their lands stretch from the mouth of the Rangitikei River in the Manawatū region to the Ruahine Ranges in the east. They also extend into the Horowhenua district to the west and the Wairarapa region in the southeastern corner of the North Island. On the South Island, the Rangitāne’s rohe occupies a significant part of Marlborough (known among Māori as Te Tauihu-o-te-waka), one of the South Island’s 16 regions, including cities like Nelson and Picton and several national parks. The Top of the South Island is also home to two other major tribes, the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rarua, and the Ngāti Kuia.   Māori warriors performing a Haka for U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, photograph by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo, 2012. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The latter is believed to be the oldest (and largest) iwi in the area. Its rohe stretches from Pelorus Sound (the Hoiere), part of the network of submerged valleys known as the Marlborough Sounds, at the island’s north-easternmost point, to the Nelson Lakes National Park in the south and Taitapu on the west coast.   From the northernmost districts of the North Island to the southernmost regions of the South Island, Māori tribes (iwi) and their leaders continue to influence New Zealand’s politics, representing Māori interests and determination to preserve their language and culture among non-Māori New Zealanders.

A bombshell study reveals that COVID-vaccinated children face a 23% surge in vaccine-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (VAIDS), with official data exposing a significant rise in autoimmune diagnoses following vaccination. Published in Pediatric Rheumatology, the large-scale [...] The post COVID-Vaccinated Kids Face 23% Surge in VAIDS, Official Study Reveals appeared first on The People's Voice.

During some of life’s toughest moments, a showing of care and support from loved ones can make a world of difference. The same is also true of the best moments in life, like a graduation. It doesn’t matter if someone is graduating from kindergarten, high school, or college — this huge step forward in life deserves to be celebrated. At Cassandra’s own college graduation, her dad proved just how much he understands this to be true. As you might expect, Dad went all out once it was Cassandra’s turn to walk across the stage. But here is the thing… he started to cheer long before his daughter’s name was announced. Why? Because he wanted to make sure that every single graduate had someone cheering them on that day. Witness this wholesome dad’s thoughtful gesture in the video below! @cassandrra_ if you felt like you had no one cheering for you, just know my dad definitely was #csulb #graduation #nuestragraduacion ♬ What Was I Made For? (Epilogue) [Instrumental Version] – Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt If Dad got tired from all of that cheering, it never showed. He continued to do so even after Cassandra walked across the stage. In this clip, we get a glimpse at some of the other graduating students. Turns out, a clip is all we need to see just how much they appreciate the love radiating from this caring dad. Thoughtful Dad Goes All Out to Show Support for His Daughter (and Every Other Student) on Graduation Day Not everyone has someone to show up for them, for whatever reason, so little moments like this can mean a lot. TikTok “As someone whose parents didn’t show up to her graduations, I always looked for someone in the crowd to be my ‘parent.’ This would have healed my broken heart,” someone in the comments shares. Another adds, “That’s a man who knows that just showing up matters. Even if he’s showing up for a total stranger.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post “If You Felt Like You Had No One Cheering For You…” Heartwarming Dad Gives Every Graduate A Fanfare Of Applause appeared first on InspireMore.

The Denson Farm in Iron Mountain, Michigan, is home to 35 chickens, three horses, four dogs, two barn cats, and one conure. They are also a registered foster dog home. Serena Denson estimates the number of foster dogs to be “too many to count.” While she loves fostering dogs and puppies, her husband rolls his eyes each time she mentions a new batch of foster puppies. But he always melts. @serenadenson I guess he’s a keeper. #adoptdontshop #fosteringsaveslives #goodhusband #reel #fyp #puppies #puppiesoftiktok ♬ original sound – highschool simulator The foster puppies chase him around the yard as he tosses stray fallen branches. It is easy to see why having so many pups chasing him around the farm is annoying. He can barely move without tiny balls of energy weaving in and out between his legs. Every chore means chase time for them. The little dogs know nothing at that age beyond running, jumping, biting, and playing. He might be annoyed, but watch his feet. He is careful not to step on any rambunctious, moving trip hazards. After the work is done, it is playtime. He might think no one is looking. Getting down on the ground, he plays with the foster puppies as if he enjoys them. While he is rolling on the ground playing with the puppies, he has a whole vocabulary of baby talk that he unleashes on them. Being an older dog on Denson Farm means babysitting duty. Watching the family dogs interact as they play with the foster puppies is heartwarming. @serenadenson Puppies started getting adopted today and I’m sad ♬ Ponchielli Dance of the Hours – Aura Classica As if they don’t have enough animals on the farm, the Densons occasionally bring shelter dogs home for weekend romps. The dogs run around the farm with the family pets and have a grand time. @serenadenson Two black puppies, Theo and Lyla, and the brown larger pup with blue collar, Rip, are all hoping they have homes for Christmas! @Northwoods Animal Shelter IR #fosterpuppies #puppiesoftiktok #shelterpuppy #shelterdog #adoptme #adoptdontshop #playtimefun ♬ Linus And Lucy – Take 1 – Vince Guaraldi Trio He might pretend to be grumpy, but he has the biggest heart. Please share. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Husband “Annoyed By Foster Puppies” Caught In Precious Bonding Moment appeared first on InspireMore.

Project Veritas has dropped yet another undercover video, this time tricking Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg into revealing secrets regarding former President Joe Biden’s mental decline as well as who was really running the show. “The foundational question for me is, like, how corrupt is the DNC if so many people knew, or few people knew, about Biden?” the undercover journalist asked Hogg. “I think the fact of the matter is the DNC is always going to be a campaign arm of the president ultimately. The bigger issue was like the inner circle that was around Biden,” Hogg replied, adding, “Like Jill Biden’s chief of staff had an enormous amount of power.” Former White House employee Deterrian Jones was also duped by the undercover journalist, chiming in that he would “avoid” Anthony Bernal, Jill Biden’s chief of staff, as he was “scary.” “He’s just a shadowy, Wizard of Oz-type figure,” Jones told the undercover reporter. “I knew how he looked, but the general public wouldn’t know how this man looked. But he wielded an enormous amount of power. And I can’t stress to you how much power he had at the White House.” “This one was a very interesting one,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says. “It was a male undercover journalist who somehow was able to seduce, or otherwise convince, David Hogg.” “Maybe we need to start talking to Anthony Bernal,” she continues. “He’s a veteran staffer of both the Obama and Clinton administrations, he was Biden’s deputy campaign manager during the 2024 presidential campaign.” Gonzales also notes that Bernal was “only one of four aids at the Rehoboth Beach House on July 18, when Biden was coerced to withdraw from the election.” “So very clearly a part of the inner, inner circle, part of the very, very big decision for Joe Biden to step down and/or at least withdraw his name from the 2024 campaign,” she adds. Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

A former NBC News host mocked Democrats for having to use anthropologists to understand male voters after more than a decade of marginalizing and ignoring the white male vote. Chuck Todd made the comments while being interviewed by Matt Lewis on his YouTube show. Todd made fun of the Democrats for beginning to use curse words in an attempt to pivot toward those voters that lost them the 2024 election. 'You spent 15 years essentially ignoring that vote, and in fact, not only ignoring it — interest groups going out of their way to marginalize that demographic group.' "They're having to use anthropologists to figure out how to appeal to white men!" said Todd. "How do we talk to this strange breed of American citizen that we've never wanted their vote before, but now we do?" He went on to recall a story demonstrating the blind spot for Democrats from a staffer who said Hillary Clinton had reached out to various ethnic groups during the 2016 campaign but didn't mention whites or males. "My staffer goes, 'She doesn't want my vote. She didn't ask for my vote.' And he's a white male. She didn't ask for any male," Todd said. "And now you're like, 'Oh, we got a problem.' Well, you spent 15 years essentially ignoring that vote, and in fact, not only ignoring it — interest groups going out of their way to marginalize that demographic group. And then you're shocked when that demographic group doesn't think the Democratic Party wants them to be members." Video of his comments were widely shared on social media. RELATED: Chuck Todd leaves NBC News as shake-up at Dem-friendly media rolls on under Trump Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images Todd had been previously mocked and ridiculed by many on social media for angrily denying that the mainstream media had missed the story about former President Joe Biden's decline. “This was a failure of the Democratic Party. And ... the virtue signaling that some people have done to try to say that the media missed this story — they didn’t miss this story!" he yelled. "The media’s got plenty of things to attack them for," Todd added. "And there are MSNBC and CNN and pundits that absolutely carried water for Joe Biden. But they’re not journalists! They’re former strategists that carried water for Joe Biden!" Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!