▁a ri ' i ▁( So ci ety ▁Islands , ▁T ah iti ), ▁a iki ▁or ▁ha ka iki ▁( Mar ques as ▁Islands ), ▁a kar iki ▁( G amb ier ▁Islands ) ▁or ▁‘ e iki ▁( T ong a ) ▁is ▁or ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁her edit ary ▁chief ly ▁or ▁noble ▁rank ▁in ▁Pol yn esia . ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand ▁ ▁Political ▁leadership ▁or ▁govern ance ▁in ▁M ā ori ▁society ▁has ▁tradition ally ▁come ▁from ▁two ▁different ▁groups ▁of ▁people ▁– ▁the ▁a ri ki ▁and ▁the ▁rang ati ra . ▁The ▁a ri ki ▁are ▁the ▁" pers ons ▁of ▁the ▁highest ▁rank ▁and ▁senior ity ". ▁As ▁the ▁" high - ran king ▁first - born ▁children ▁of ▁first - born ▁children ", ▁a ri ki ▁inherit ▁their ▁positions ▁from ▁their ▁for eb ears . ▁In ▁particular , ▁their ▁" sup reme ▁rank ▁[ comes ] ▁from ▁the ▁conj unction ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁senior ▁descent ▁lines ▁from ▁found ing ▁ancest ors , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁from ▁the ▁gods ". ▁Although ▁most ▁a ri ki ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁have ▁been ▁male , ▁women , ▁like ▁Te ▁A ta ir ang ika ahu , ▁have ▁" br ought ▁their ▁own ▁qual ities ▁to ▁bear ▁on ▁leadership ▁... ▁[ with ] ▁the ▁expect ations ▁of ▁them ▁... ▁[ be ing ] ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁for ▁men ". ▁ ▁Ari ki ▁do ▁not ▁operate ▁in ▁simple ▁hier arch ical ▁organis ations ; ▁despite ▁what ▁" g overn