Reciprocal relationships: identity, tradition and food in the Kīngitanga Poukai He Manaakitanga: o te tuakiri, o te tikanga me te kai ki te Poukai o te Kīngitanga

He kūaha whānui e pūare ana ki te puna kai, ki te puna tangata. (Tāwhiao 1894)‘A doorway opened wide to the bounty of foods, to the multitudes of people.’In 1884, the Kīngitanga (Māori King Movement) instituted its first punakai (uniting of food sources) to feed its people. At that time the country was ravaged by warfare, which rendered access to prime food and water scarce to followers of the Kīngitanga. King Tāwhiao, the second Māori King, established the punakai to feed the widowed, the orphaned, and the destitute, and all who mourned the loss of loved ones in the war. Later re-named poukai, this institution continues to this day. A series of annual gatherings take place at Kīngitanga marae, the gathering places of the extended family who belong to that place, and who are responsible for each poukai. Marae pool their food resources to host the Māori King and his family, and to feed the people. The poukai is now an institution in itself with food at its very centre. We provide examples of traditional pre-European foods, as well as foods introduced after the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand. We discuss the relationships between the poukai, food and identity, and identify some of the issues that poukai marae face, as well as events and trends that have impacted and caused change. In Māori culture, mana recognises the reciprocal relationships between people, and between people and place, asserting that each has a responsibility to each other. Control over resources, and provision of traditional foods at events such as the poukai, is essential to the mana of Māori. We discuss the cultural value that marae place on their kai and how these cultural values are impacted by change. Finally, we comment on the sustainability of these poukai, and how the poukai connect to a continuing vision of revitalisation and self-determination for Tainui.