Ngāti Te Wehi
Ngāti Te Wehi is a Māori tribal group of North Island, New Zealand.
| Ngāti Te Wehi | |
| Iwi of New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Rohe (region) | Kawhia |
| Waka (canoe) | Tainui/Aotea |
| Population | 10000 |
Ngāti Te Wehi is a Māori iwi Located on the West-coast of Kawhia in the Waikato District region of New Zealand. According to the 1874 census, Ngati Te Wehi were registered as an iwi.
Ngāti Te Wehi is the principle iwi of The Aotea Harbour Aotea Moana tribes, maintaining close ties with Ngati Reko, Ngati Mahuta, Ngati Whawhakia, Te Patupo, Ngati Te Uru and Ngati Mahanga. Ngāti Te Wehi also have historical connections with Ngāti Hauā, Ngati Whatua, Ngati Koata, Ngati Toa Rangatira, Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Ruanui, Ngati Tahinga, Ngati Paipai, Ngati Paiaka, Ngati Rangitauwwaro, Ngati Whare, Ngati Koura, Ngati Hourua, Ngati Te Wehiwhakaruru and Ngati Peehi. The Aotea Moana iwi all consider Mt Karioi and her Husband Karewa or Gannet Island to be sacred. Ngāti Te Wehi have tribal holdings in Te Taitokerau, Waikato/Maniapoto and Aotea.
History
Te Wehi is the founding ancestor of the Ngaati Te Wehi iwi. Achieving this by securing back two very special items that no other local chief could obtain but by his father Pakaue, who got killed for them.
Te Wehi or Te Wehi Te Kihi parents are father Pakaue & mother Koata of Ngaati Koata, Pakaue is of Ngaati Tuu-irirangi/Ngaati Wairere. There are a few versions to the whakapapa of who were the parents of Pakaue according to Ngaati Te Wehi Kāumatua and Kūia during the Waitangi hearings held at Ngaruawahia in 1908-09 both Kauki Tauira of Ngaati Te Wehi and Te Kamanomano of Ngaati Reko state the whakapapa of Pakaue and reference to Tuhorotini a son of Tuirirangi and Koura Tuwhea of Ngaati Wairere to be Pakaue parents. Te Wehi's mum Koata according to Tainui is of the Ngaati Mahanga, Ngaati Mahuta & Ngaati Mango people.
According to research Te Wehi is said to have been a fierce warrior, so to his older half brother Kawharu the Giant, both living prosperous but then separate lives after a small brotherly scuffle.
Te Wehi Te Kihi was born in Kawhia at a pah site known as Karere-atua and spent his young adolescence in Kawhia, after their little scuffle older brother Kawharu left Kawhia but eventually came back after helping in battles with Ngaati Raukawa chief Ngatokowaru.
Te Wehi moved to the Aotea Harbour after Pakaue his father was murdered for items only he could obtain, a very famous Dogskin Korowai cloak named Piipii Te Wai & equally famous sacred war club named Karioi-mutu was given to Pakaue by an inland chief named Whakamarurangi. Pakaue's cousin Tuuahu-maahina a son of Tuu-irirangi & chief of that tribe, lived at Motu-ngaio pa not far from Karere-atua, His failed attempt to obtain these coveted items & remarks from the great Maniapoto chief Te Kanawa “O Tuahu-mahina, your prestige has been lowered by your younger relative Pakaue, because he has been able to obtain that which has been denied to you.” The thought of this made Tuuahu-mahina very angry.
Te Kanawa went on to Kawhia to see Pakaue and his warrior sons and started an argument with Kawharu, which incensed Te Kanawa enough to complain to Tuuahu-maahina who attacked with the Ngaati Ariari, Pakaue & his family escaping but Pakaue taking a different route was found by Tautini-moko son of Tuuahu-maahina and killed Pakaue for the cloak & sacred war patu.
Now Toa-Rangatira(Ngaati Mango) is an uncle to Te Wehi as he married Pakaue's sister Mananaki. Half brother Kawharu married Toa-Rangatira's daughter Waikauri.
Giant Kawharu not satisfied with his one revenge upon Tuuahu-maahina's warriors, decided to enlist the help of his father-in-law Toarangatira, who's fist joint battle with Kawharu beat Te Kanawa after he attacked them, but ToaRangatira let Te Kanawa go, to spread their fame as great warriors, the pair with their tribes then won a battle against Tuuahu-maahina at Te Maika, the latter running to the safety of his Motu-ngaio Pa but then surrounded was ambushed & killed by ToaRangatira as he then tried to escaped Motu-ngaio, the names of the battles fought have been handed down to us. They were Te Moana-waipu, Pohoetangehe, and Te Keukeukeua.
After these battles about 1675, Kawharu & Toarangatira from Marokopa had Kawhia district in their undisputed possession. Older brother Kawharu now satisfied with the revenge he had obtained, desired to make peace with the survivors. Te Wehi would not agree, & Kawharu, not wishing to be further involved, collected his people & moved to the shores of Aotea harbour & occupied Raorao-kauere & Manuaiti Pa. Ngaati Toarangatira retained Motu Ngaio Pa till 1820's before migrating south with Te Rauparaha & Ngaati Koata.
News of the death of Tuuahu-maahina spread & reached the ears of Tautini-moko, who had fled to Whanganui, and hearing that peace had been made, he returned with the sacred Patu & dogskin Korowai cloak & occupied the pa Te Rau-o-te-huia, not far distant from Raorao-kauere.
When Tautini-moko returned, Te Wehi was living at Te Maari Aotea Harbour, & when the news reached him that his father's slayer was across the harbour, he decided to kill him. When he announced his intentions however, he received no support, it being contended that peace had been made; but Te Wehi was not to be cheated of his revenge, & set out to Waikato to obtain assistant from that tribe
According to ancestor's, Ngaati Te Wehi became an iwi after he had regained his father's Mana and made connections to his granduncles Wharetiipeti and Tapaue of Ngaati Mahuta. Mahuta begat Uerata who married Puakirangi, Koata's Auntie. Uerata & Puakirangi had Rangihoto, Wharetiipeti, Hourua & Tapaue.
After the support from Wharetiipeti & Tapaue to attact Te Rau-o-te-huia pa, Te Wehi, a very fast runner, chased down his father's assailant off the Aotea harbour peninsula & took his head off in mid air. Te Wehi gave the Scared Patu & Korowai to the Ngaati Mahuta boys as they had their hand out for them, he also gave his daughter Reko to marry Tapaue's son Tahau. The then named Tokoreko & her husband Tahau became the Great Grand Parents of Whakaawi, mother of King Tawhiao. .[1]
Te Wehi has been known to have had 3 wives, but his principle wife was Mariu who bore Te Hauwhangairua, Te Paipai, Tokoreko, Paiaka, Te Whakamaui, Hineketu and Te Rangitauawaro. Each of these Children lived at Mowhiti (Paakoka), Papatapa, Te Maari, Makomako, Te Urewera, Waiteika, Kaiariki, Paataka, Patumarama, Ruakotare, Wairoa, Maungaroa and Matakowhai and so to did their descendants. These Children of Te Wehi and Mariu are of importance as they are founders of many iwi and hapu today.
Te Wehi had many small pa sites located around Kawhia/Aotea but his most beautiful was at the peak tops of Matakowhai. Upon his death, his people, known as "Ngāti Te Wehi", moved South West of Aotea Harbour, some stayed at Makomako, Te Papatapu and Motakotako.
This brings us to Rangitaupopoki the son of Waenganui II who is the son of Paiaka & Rangihora, Rangihora being the daughter of the giant Ngaati Koura warloard Hotumauea & Paiaka being the son of the great Te Wehi & his princess wife Mariu, daughter of Hape & Te Angaangawaero who is the daughter of the great chief Wahiao of Te Arawa descendant of Tuhourangi-Ngaati Wahiao, Tuhourangi was 9 ft tall.
Rangitaupopoki married two Ngaati Maniapoto descendants named Waimahanga & Parehikitanga who were sisters. Parehikitanga & husband had three children, Te Urumahue a daughter, Tutemahurangi & Te Moke. Tutemahurangi begat two sons his first born son was Pita Waikato later known as Pita Mahu Waikato of Ngaati Te Wehi to Metiria Waikato a Daughter to Te Riria Whareherehere Taria Waikato the first commander of the united tribes of all confederated chiefs of Aotearoa and Te Aoturoa Hoone Waitere a son born to Marutehiakina II. Te Aoturoa Hoone Waitere was a Ngaati Te Wehi chief who signed the Manukau-Kawhia copy of the Treaty of Waitangi. This Manukau-Kawhia Maori-language copy of the Teaty of Waitangi, with 13 signatures, & is the only surviving copy with the signature of Colonial Secretary Willoughby Shortland. It was also the last copy to be returned, in 1841.
Shortland sent it to Captain William Symonds on 13 March 1840 to gather signatures from chiefs around and to the south of the Manukau Harbour. Symonds was working in the area on behalf of a proposed Scottish land company settlement. He and James Hamlin of the Church Missionary Society assembled several chiefs, probably at Awhitu, but failed to get their agreement. Many Waikato chiefs, including Te Wherowhero, attended a second meeting on 20 March. Three Ngati Whatua chiefs signed then (Kawau, Tinana and Reweti) but none of the Waikato chiefs. Wesleyan missionaries James Wallis and John Whiteley(Hone Waitere to Kawhia Maori)gathered 10 more signatures at Kawhia between April and September 1840. Each name has the prefix 'Ko', which is not part of the name and has 'his mark' following the moko or mark. Signed Treaty on 15 June 1840, witnessed by John Whiteley.
Born approx 1799 Te Aoturoa Hoone Waitere was also signatury to land sold for the Wesleyan mission at Kopua & Sold 10,000aces with other chiefs to the crown on 2/12/1857 called Te Wharauroa Block. $800 was paid by John Rogan on behalf of Queen Victoria over 4years. Because of these relationship formed Many areas of land at Aotea harbour today is still owned & looked after(kaitiaki)by Ngaati Te Wehi descendants. Other land lost in the Waikato wars is still to be addressed with the crown.
Therefore, Ngaati Te Wehi supports The King movement Te Kingitanga, as one of Ngaati Te Wehi Marae 'Okapu Marae Te Kotahitanga ō Ngaati Te Wehi' are part of the 29 Marae who hold an Annual General Poukai, 14 March of every year. The first Poukai was held at Raoraokauere then in the early 1800s by Motakotako Marae Te Ohaaki ō Mahuta which was given to Makomako Te Tihi ō Moerangi but at that time Makomako, Te Tihi ō Moerangi was called Kaokao in 1896 and finally placed the Poukai with Okapu Marae in 1897 making the Poukai at Okapu Marae 116 years old.
Ngāti Te Wehi today
Ngati Te Wehi iwi continue to seek redress with the Crown and Waitangi Tribunal over grievances during the New Zealand Land Wars and European colonisation. The first hearing was scheduled and held at Waipapa Marae hosted by Ngati Hikairo on 7 October 2013 Ngati Te Wehi are awaiting the outcome before negotiations can proceed.
See also
References
- ↑ Moerangi MB 2a pg 68-70
Bruce Biggs. 'Jones, Pei Te Hurinui', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 30-Oct-2012
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/biographies/4j11/jones-pei-te-hurinui
External links
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