Rangatira (Cook Islands)
A " rangatira " was the title given to a minor chief in the Cook Islands - often someone who was closely related to an "ariki" or "mataiapo", now usually by the younger brothers or sisters; the head of a branch of a "rangatira" or "mataiapo" family. A "rangatira" title was usually inherited within a family. It was associated with a "tapere" - the land on which the people of a village belonged. The "rangatira" could expect contributions of goods and services from the people of his village. The majority of his village population of which he was the head, would  have come from his descent group. A "rangatira" could only be created by the "ariki" who delegated authority to the "rangatira" in order to create a structure of support from within the "tapere" for the "ariki". This "tapere" support mechanism was stronger than that of the "mataiapo" because its population was larger.