I te wā o Tunohopu i te noho a Ngāti Whakaue i waenganui i te kūrae o Kawaha me Weriweri, i runga hoki o Mokoia. Ko Ngāti Rangiwewehi i Awahou atu ki te awa o
Ōhau. Ko Ngāti Pikiao i te taha rāwhiti o te moana roua atu ana ki ngā moana o te rāwhiti ki Rotoiti, ki Rotoehu me Rotomā. Mai i Mourea i te moana o Rotorua tae atu ki Ōwhatiura ko Ngāti Rangiteaorere me Ngāti Uenukukōpako, ā mai i Ōwhatiura ki
Kawaha ko Tūhourangi.

E tutū tonu ana te puehu i waenga i ngā iwi ka hingahinga tonu atu te tangata, ko Te Rangitakuku, tama a Pūkākī, rāua ko tōna tuahine ko Te Hapeterarau ētahi, i patua rā i tōna whakahokitanga atu ki tōna kōkara
nō roto o Tūhourangi.

Nō te pananga o Ngāti Tama i te takiwā tonu, ka nōhia e Ngāti Whakaue a Pukeroa me Ōhinemutu, ā ka whakangungua e rātou aua whenua i ngā huakitanga a Tūhourangi, kia riro pū ai i a rātou a Ōhinemutu, tae noa mai ki tēnei wā.


I noho tonu a Ngāti Whakaue ki tō rātou pito o Mokoia, ahakoa ngā wheiwheinga o Ngāti Uenukukōpako kia riro ai i a rātou, hei utu mō te patunga o ētahi o ō rātou rangatira, ā i tau rawa ai te puehu i waenga i ēnei iwi i te whakatūnga o te tatau pounamu e Te Kohu, tama a Tunohopu, i te tukunga o tana tamāhine hei wahine mā Te Whakarua, tama a Te Arakau, rangatira
o Ngāti Uenukukōpako.


I te wā o Tunohopu i pakanga rātou ki a Tamamutu o Tūwharetoa. Ko tētahi o aua pakanga i tū ki Kawaha, ki te kāinga o Tunohopu rātou ko tōna whānau, ko tōna hapū, i riro ai tana tama pōtiki a Taioperua i a Tamamutu, ā i mauria atu ai ki Taupō. Nā te kaha o tōna aroha ka kī atu a Tunohopu ki a Ngāti Whakaue māna e haere atu ki Taupō ki te tiki atu i tana tama, pērā i tōna tupuna i a Tamatekapua i haere ai ki te whakaora i tōna teina i a Whakatūria i ngā rā o nehe. Nā tēnei mahi i puta ai te whakataukī kua tuhia ki raro iho nei hei whakakapi i tēnei wāhanga o ngā kōrero. I urutomo pai atu ai a Tunohopu ki te pā o Tamamutu, ā nā tōna māia whakawhiwhia ia e Tamamutu ki tana tama ki a Taioperua.



Kua whiria te mana wahine ki ngā kōrero o mua o Ngāti Whakaue. Hei whakamaumaharatanga ngā kōrero mō Te Pupū rāua ko Te Hoata, i haere mai ai mā raro i te whenua ki te mau mai i te ahi hei whakaora i tō rāua tungāne i a Ngātoroirangi, mō te kaha o tamawahine ki te tiaki i te whakaoranga o ngā whakatipuranga o muri. Ko ngā kōrero mō Whakaotirangi he mea tohutohu i a tātou kia āta tiakina te tū me te mana o tamawahine, me ia i pupuri ai ki tana kete tīnaku kūmara, mō te oranga o tōna whānau, o tōna hapū. Kei te kitea te kaha o ngā wāhine o Te Arawa ki te atawhai, ki te tiaki i ā rātou tāne me ō rātou whānau, i roto i ngā mahi raranga o te ao o Hineteiwaiwa, e hua ai i a ia te pono me te whanaketanga o Ngāti Whakaue i ngā rā kei te heke mai.



I ngā tau 1820 ka rere a Ngāti Whakaue ki Mokoia, me ngā iwi o Te Arawa i noho ki te takiwā o Rotorua me ētahi o ngā roto, hei kaupare i te whakaekenga a ngā tiora mau pū o Te Tai Tokerau, engari kāore i taea, ka horo tonu a Mokoia. Ka oraiti ētahi toiora hapū o te motu i “Te Whare whaowhao o Te Ao Kapuarangi”. Hei whakamaumaharatanga whakaongaonga te whakataukī nei, nā Te Aokapuarangi te rahinga o mātou i
ora ai ki tēnei rā.

E whakahuatia ana tēnei whakataukī i roto i te mōteatea a te mokopuna a Te Ao Kapuarangi mōna:

Ka tanuku kei raro
Te tihi ki Mokoia

E tū e whae he maihi wharenui
Nō Tamatekapua

Kia pōwhiri koe te tini o Te Arawa
Koia i toa “Whare whaowhao”

Ka ora ki te ao
Houhia e koe ki te rongo

I te noho tonu a Ngāti Whakaue ki ngā whenua ki te taha uru o Rotorua i te taenga mai o ngā mihinare tuatahi me ngā tāngata whai o tauiwi i muri mai. I taua wā ko te rohe o Ngāti Whakaue mai i Waikimihia ki Waingaehe i te taha tonga o Rotorua. Ko Ngāti Ngāraranui i te takiwā ki Waiteti i Waikimihia, ko Ngāti Tūteaiti i Parawai i Ngongotaha, ā ko ētahi atu hapū matua ko Ngāti Pūkākī, ko Tunohopu, ko Te Rorooterangi, ko Rangiiwaho, ko Tāeotū, ko Hurungaoterangi, i ngā whenua mai i Ngongotaha ki Parawai, i Waikuta, i Kawaha, i Te Koutu, i Ōhinemutu, i Pukeroa, i Ngāpuna me Ōwhatiura.



Ko ngā kāinga matua o taua wā i tū ki Weriweri, ki Parawai, ki Waikuta, ki Waiohewa, ki Kawaha, ki Te Koutu, ki Utuhina, ki Ōhinemutu, ki Tihiotonga, ki Ngāpuna,
ki Ōwhatiura.

Ko ngā pā matua o Ngāti Whakaue i tū ki Weriweri, ki Kawaha, ki Te Koutu, ki Ōhinemutu, ki Tihiotonga, ki Ngāpuna, ki Ōwhatiura.

Ko ngā rangatira nui o Ngāti Whakaue i te wā o te taenga mai o ngā mihinare tuatahi me tauiwi ko Haupapa, rātou ko Hāmuera Pango, ko Kiharoa Mataiawhea, ko Eruera Te
Uremutu, ko Haerehuka, ko Pukuatua, ko Te Amohau, ko Te Kōwhai Tarahina.

Ahakoa ngā pakanga ki a Waharoa me tana ope, i toa ai i te pakanga o Mātaipuku i Te Koutu, ka noho tonu a Ngāti Whakaue ki tōna pā ki Ōhinemutu. Ko te pūtake o taua pakanga ko te patunga o tētahi o ngā whanaunga o Te Waharoa e Haerehuka, i tutū ai te puehu ki Te Tumu i muri mai, ā kātahi ka riro anō i a Te Arawa a Maketū i a Ngāi Te Rangi.


Nō Ngāti Whakaue, nō ngā rangatira kua whakahuatia ake nei, te mana motuhake o ngā whenua katoa mai i Waikimihia ki Whakarewarewa, mai i Whakarewarewa ki
Waingaehe. Ko Ōhinemutu te “tāone” nui mō ngā mahi tāpoi whakawhanake i te kitenga mā te kaha haumanu o ngā waiariki e kume mai ai te ao ki ngā hōtera o Ngāti Whakaue me ngā tāngata whai tuatahi ka hangaia ki Ōhinemutu hei manaaki i a tauiwi, i ngā tāngata whai
me ngā tūruhi.


Ahakoa te noho kūpapa a Ngāti Whakaue hei “pononga” mā te karauna, kāore he take i tua atu i te kī taurangi kia puritia tonutia ai e Ngāti Whakaue āna tikanga e pā ana ki te mana mō ōna whenua, i whakaatahia ai i ngā rā i muri mai i te korenga o Ngāti Whakaue e whakaae ki te hokonga o ōna whenua, ki te wawaotanga mai hoki o te pūnaha pērā i te Kōti Whenua Māori.

Ko ēnei parapara katoa kua tukuna iho mai i ngā whakatipuranga ki a mātou o Ngāti Whakaue kia pēnei ai mātou i tēnei wā. Ko mātou anō ngā kōrero o mua o ō mātou tūpuna. Ko mātou e ora nei te whakatinanatanga o ō mātou tūpuna me ā rātou mahi katoa – ahakoa pai, ahakoa kino. Ko ō rātou hononga ki ēnei whenua, ki ēnei moana, ki ēnei ngāwhā, kei te manaakitia tonutia e Ngāti Whakaue i tēnei wā, ahakoa e mōhiotia ana, ahakoa kāore e mōhiotia ana, i te whānuitanga o tō rātou ao, te ao kikokiko me te ao wairua.

Hei aha noa ake i mate ai au ka tipu aku pākārito

At the time of Tunohopu Ngati Whakaue lived between Kawaha Point and Weriweri as well as on Mokoia Island. Ngati Rangiwewehi were from Awahou to the Ohau channel, whilst Ngati Pikiao occupied the eastern side of the lake extending back to the eastern lakes of Rotoiti, Rotoehu and Rotoma. From Mourea on Lake Rotorua as far as Owhatiura generally belonged to Ngati Rangiteaorere and Ngati Uenukukopako, and between Owhatiura as far as Kawaha was occupied by Tuhourangi.

Intervening skirmishes continued resulting in deaths on both sides, not the least of which were the deaths of Te Rangitakuku, a son of Pukaki, and his younger sister Te
Hapeterarau, when she was taken back by her mother who was of Tuhourangi descent.

The eventual occupation of Pukeroa and Ohinemutu followed when Ngati Whakaue were able to move Ngati Tama out of the immediate region resulting in the battle at Te Puia Pa, and Ngati Whakaue were able to withstand the attacks by Tuhourangi and became the occupiers of Ohinemutu, from where they have never been displaced.

Ngati Whakaue continued to occupy their part on Mokoia Island even though attempts were made by Ngati Uenukukopako, principally as a result of wishing to seek revenge for the deaths of their leaders, to gain control of these areas, with peace finally being achieved by Tunohopu’s son, Te Kohu, making peace on behalf of Ngati Whakaue, and offering his daughter as a wife for Te Whakarua, son of Te Arakau, a chief of
Ngati Uenukukopako.

During Tunohopu’s time many battles took place with Tamamutu of Tuwharetoa, one battle taking place at Kawaha, where Tunohopu lived with his family and hapu, which saw the eventual capture of his youngest son Taioperua, by Tamamutu, and his being taken back to the Taupo region. Tunohopu, besieged with grief, prevailed upon Ngati Whakaue that he would venture to Taupo to regain his son, not unlike his tupuna Tamatekapua in seeking recovery of his younger Whakaturia in olden times. From this incident was born the proverb given below in closing this part of the statement of claim. Tunohopu was successful in gaining entry to Tamamutu’s pa, with his audacity being rewarded with the good grace of Tamamutu by the return of his son Taioperua.


The mana and status of women is woven intimately in the histories of the people of Ngati Whakaue. Memories of Te Pupu and Te Hoata who travelled underground bearing
warmth to ensure the survival of their brother Ngatoroirangi remind us of the importance of the female dimension in protecting the survival of future generations. The histories around Whakaotirangi speak to us about the need to protect those things that are important for maintaining the role and status of women, as it was she who protected her kete full of the precious tinaku kumara, for the sustenance of her whanau and hapu. This capacity of Te Arawa women to nurture and protect their men and families while maintaining their own femininity is captured in their prowess as weavers in the crafts of the realm of Hineteiwaiwa, as she also ensures the integrity and fertility of Ngati Whakaue’s future.

In the 1820’s Ngati Whakaue, like other tribes of Te Arawa who occupied the Rotorua Lakes District, took refuge on Mokoia Island to repulse the advance of the northern tribal musket marauders, but they were unable to do so resulting in the fall of Mokoia Island, with the saving of the remnants of the tribal groups on the island being effected by “Te Whare whaowhao o Te Ao Kapuarangi”. The whakatauaki is a poignant reminder that it is because of Te Aokapuarangi that many of us are here today.

The reference to this saying is recorded in the lament by Te Ao Kapuarangi’s granddaughter to her as follows:

The falling
of the crest of Mokoia

You o mother didst bestride the
bargeboard of the great house called Tamatekapua

You beckoned the many of Te Arawa hence the saying “The brim full house”

And were saved to the world for
ever holding a lasting peace

Ngati Whakaue’s continued occupation of the western shores of Lake Rotorua continued through to the arrival of the early missionaries and later settlers. At this time the extent of the Ngati Whakaue domain was from Waikimihia through to Waingaehe on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua. The hapu of Ngati Ngararanui occupied the Waiteti region at Waikimihia, whilst Ngati Tuteaiti occupied the area at Parawai in Ngongotaha, with the other major hapu of Ngati Pukaki, Tunohopu, Te Rorooterangi, Rangiiwaho, Taeotu, Hurungaoterangi, claiming to lands from Ngongotaha through to Parawai, Waikuta, Kawaha, Te Koutu, Ohinemutu, Pukeroa, Ngapuna and Owhatiura.

The principal kainga of the time were those situated at Weriweri, Parawai, Waikuta, Waiohewa, Kawaha, Te Koutu, Utuhina, Ohinemutu, Tihiotonga,
Ngapuna and Owhatiura.


The principal pa occupied by Ngati Whakaue were at Weriweri, Kawaha, Te Koutu, Ohinemutu, Tihiotonga, Ngapuna and Owhatiura.

The principal leaders of Ngati Whakaue at the time of the arrival of the early missionaries and settlers included Haupapa, Hamuera Pango, Kiharoa Mataiawhea, Eruera Te Uremutu, Haerehuka, Pukuatua, Te Amohau,
Te Kowhai Tarahina.

Even the wars with Waharoa and his party, who were successful at the battle of Mataipuku at Te Koutu, were not sufficient to remove Ngati Whakaue from its stronghold in Ohinemutu. The attack was caused by the actions of Haerehuka in dispensing with a relative of Te Waharoa, which in turn led to the battle at Te Tumu and
the eventual recapturing of Maketu by Te Arawa from
Ngai Te Rangi.

Ngati Whakaue, under their chiefs abovenamed, held complete authority over all lands extending from Waikimihia through to Whakarewarewa, and from Whakarewarewa through to Waingaehe. Ohinemutu was the main “town” for the burgeoning tourism industry for this area once it was recognised that the therapeutic qualities of the geothermal would be an attraction to the world with hotels, owned by both Ngati Whakaue and early settlers, and built in Ohinemutu to cater for the new arrivals, both settler and tourist.

Notwithstanding Ngati Whakaue’s association with the crown as “loyal subjects”, this was never to be other than for the assurance and guarantee of Ngati Whakaue
maintaining it’s tikanga in respect of mana over it’s domain, later reflected in Ngati Whakaue’s opposition to any form of sale of it’s land, as well as the intervention of a system such as the Native Land Court.

All of these attributes have been passed down through the generations and make us who we are as Ngati Whakaue. We are our history. We are the living and breathing manifestations of our tupuna and everything that they did – both good and bad. And the connections that they had with these lands and with their moana, within their ngawha, is a connection that Ngati Whakaue hold and nurture today, both consciously and unconsciously, in the many realms of their existence, both tangible
and intangible.

It does not matter if I die I am survived by my descendants