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Pepeha
Ko Mātaatua te waka
Ko Muriwai te tīpuna
Ko Whakatōhea te iwi
Ko Matītī te maunga
Ko Waioeka te awa
Ko Ōpeke te marae
Ko Irapuaia te wharenui
Ko Ngāti Ira te hapū
Te Whakatōhea
Whakatōhea iwi take their name from the tohetohe (stubbornness) of their tīpuna, Muriwai. Ngāti Ira hapū take their name from Muriwai's grandson, Irapuaia, after whom the wharenui at Ōpeke marae in Waioweka (Waioeka) is named. On the hill behind the marae is the urupā named Ōwaka. Lying side by side in the urupā are Te Wehi and his wife Tarere.
Opeke marae
There has long been uncertainty about how this couple might whakapapa to Whakatōhea. Like Tūhoe and Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Whakatōhea originates from the earliest tribes of the eastern Bay of Plenty that were there prior to the arrival of Mātaatua waka. It is difficult to belong any one of these iwi and not belong to each of the neighbouring iwi. These early tribes whose names were in common use in the 1800s include Te Hapūoneone (descended from the early settler Hape), Te Whakatāne (descended from the early settler Haeora) and Te Ūpokorehe (descended from Haeora and Raumoa). These early peoples described collectively as Te Tini-o-Toi (the multitude of Toi) intermingled and could not in practice be separated. 1
A whakapapa published in 1925 shows the origin and descendants of Te Whakatāne tribe, intermarriages with Ngā Pōtiki and some descendants of Toroa and Muriwai of Mātaatua. The whakapapa shows for example that Tamatea Matangi, the husband of Muriwai, also married Kokouri and they had Haeora. 2 There is some evidence that suggests Te Wehi belongs to Whakatōhea through these tīpuna.
The whakapapa also shows the descent of Te Wharenikau who is the mother of Tarere's first husband from Ngāti Ira. Tarere Tukutahi (1870-1942) had seven children by two husbands:
1st husband = Tawhara Tamaipaoa m. 1865 - 11.10.1906
|- 1. Tangiwai Tawhara f. 1890 - 16.11.1910 (no issue)
|- 2. Pianawiti Tawhara m. 1891 – 19.5.1947
|- 3. Patu Tawhara m. 1893 – died in infancy
|- 4. Te Rau Purukamu Tawhara m. 1895 -
|- 5. Mereana Tawhara f. 1906 - 5.4.1908
2nd husband = Te Wehi Toki m. 1890-24.7.1949
|- 7. Rawinia Rangi f. 1910-1977
|- 6. Tuwhiti Wehi m. 3.12.1911–1980
Pianawiti Tawhara had four children
|- 1. Henare Tawhara m
|- 2. Timi Tawhara m
|- 3. Te Mihi Iwi or Ngaere Tawhara f. 1932 - 1.6.1948
|- 4. Merito Tawhara m 1938 - 4.9.2013
Of more significance is that the 1925 whakapapa traces Te Kapewhiti to Te Whakatōhea iwi. Significant because Tarere is a descendant of Te Kapewhiti. Te Kapewhiti is a grandson of Ruamoko and therefore closely connected to several hapū of Te Whakatōhea.
The records of the Māori Land Court include much evidence about battles fought over the land and how they influenced the turbulent settlement of the district. Some key evidence relating to Ruamoko was delivered to the court in 1888. Tauha Nikora, claiming as a Ngāti Rua of Whakatōhea, traced his whakapapa from Tarawa through Ruamoko to support a claim to interests in the Oamaru land block: 3
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Tarawa is said to have come from Hawaiki and to be responsible for the naming of Ōpōtiki. He made landfall at Waiotahi and married into the early settlers. His descendants went by the tribal name of Ngāi Tū. Tarawa and Tamakomutumutu lived at Motu. Te Atahaia, Te Atawairua (buried at the headwaters of the Waioeka) and Te Atakorihi occupied parts of the Tahora block. Te Ataoterangi drove off sections of Ngāti Kahungunu, killed their chief and continued to occupy the land probably in the mid-1500s, after the estimated date of the arrival of Mātaatua. The construction of pa fortresses began at that time. In the time of Pakakura, sections of Ngāi Tū were living on the seaward side between the lower reaches of the Waioeka and Otara Rivers. Ngāti Rua were interested in these lands and deliberately deposited the bones of their relative in a cave on the Otara. Ngāi Tū made fish hooks from the bones so Whatupe of Ngāti Rua killed Pakakura with a spear. While Pakakura was being mourned over, Whatupe set fire to the whare mate killing those inside. Some time later, Whatupe was killed by Tamatakiri, a survivor of the cremation. Two generations later, Kahopu married Tauhina introducing the Mātaatua bloodlines of Muriwai. Kahupo discovered Te Whakatāne living on part of the Tahora block at Te Ahikereru. Kahupo killed their leader and continued to live on the land as did his son, Te Hauoterangi. Te Whakatāne then killed a nephew of Te Hauoterangi. Ngāi Tū and Te Whakatōhea retaliated but were unsuccessful. Hauoterangi was killed and his body was suspended from a tree. Ngāi Tū changed their name to Ngāti Ngāhere to commemorate this event. 4 In about 1831, a high ranking woman of Ngāti Ngāhere was killed in a canoe by Ngāpuhi. Because she was killed out at sea, this section of Ngāti Ngāhere changed their name to Ngāti Patumoana to commemorate their wahine rangatira. 5
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Ngāti Patu as they are commonly known adopted Ruamoko as their father figure. Ngāti Ngāhere continued to exist, adopting Tahu as theirs. The ultimate defeat of Te Whakatāne, the mana over lands at Waioeka and the close relationship of Ruamoko with Ngāti Ira is explained by a Ngāti Patu chief who was asked by the Maori Land Court to give evidence:
6
Tiwai (sworn) My name is Tiwai Piahana. I belong to Ngāti Patu. I am also a Chief. I formerly belonged to Ngāti Ngāhere, but at the death of a woman called Hineahua, we changed our name to Ngāti Patu ... Ruamoko took possession of that country by conquest all the land about Waioeka. The country on Waioeka belonged to the Whakatāne. When Hauoterangi who was the father of Ruamoko and Tahu was killed by the Whakatāne, then it was Ruamoko determined to take possession of the country. Ruamoko belonged to the Whakatāne, his connection arose through his mother's side - called Hikawharetoa
Ngāti Ira at that time were living at Opeke outside this block at a Pa called Takutahi, it was their own land, the Ngāti Ira became possessed of that land through their intermarriages with Whakatōhea - they had no real claim. They did not acquire their right at Opeke through Ruamoko.
I believe that the Ngāti Ira came originally from the East Coast and that they came here, intermarried, became a tribe of some importance and occupied the country about the Takutahi pa.
7
Minor inconsistencies aside, the evidence of Tiwai Piahana corroborates to a large extent the evidence given by Tauha Nikora. Te Whakatāne, Ngāi Tū and Ngāti Ira had traditional rights in the upper reaches of the Waioeka. For several generations, Ngāti Ira and the related Te Whakatāne lived and grew together in harmony. The pressures of an expanding population inevitably led to conflict. Te Whakatāne murdered Te Uruariki of Ngāti Ira. Te Uruariki's mana was assumed by his sons Kotikoti, Kaiwhanaunga and Manutahi. 8
It was in these times that Ruamoko became allied with Kotikoti and Ngāti Ira. Takutahi and other pa were taken by Ruamoko and his allies particularly Kotikoti. At the time of the conquest, both Ngāti Ira and Ngāti Patu (or Ngāti Ngāhere as they were then known) were in occupation of those pa. When Ruamoko conquered much of the territory, he rewarded Whakatōhea with land for their support. An important marriage was between Ruamoko and Te Puritanga of Ngāti Ira. Another important marriage was between Taunahaora, a son of Ruamoko and Te Raho, a daughter of Kotikoti of Ngāti Ira. These and other intermarriages allowed Ngāti Ira to go onto conquered lands. 9
Like other Whakatōhea hapū, Ngāti Ira left their traditional lands and moved toward the coast. Unlike other Whakatōhea hapū, Ngāti Ira was deeply involved in the Hauhau campaign. The military attack on Ōpōtiki forced hapū to ancestral grounds up the Waioeka River. Land confiscation was indiscriminate. No account was taken of the role the rightful owners played. Vast areas of the best lands were taken. Surplus reserves were then made available to resettle 'friendly natives' and some described as rebels.
In 1871, Hira Te Popo surrendered and immediately applied for permission to crop some of the reserves within the confiscated area so that his people would not be a burden on the government. They were allowed to cultivate 100 acres at Waioeka. Dispossessed hapū from the confiscation of prime Ōpōtiki estates, Ngāti Ira, Ngāti Patu, Ngāti Ngāhere and Ngāi Tama, were moved off their traditional hapū lands at Waiotahe, Paerata, Hikutaia, Pakowhai and Waioeka and relocated to the Opape reserve along with its original owners, Ngāti Rua. Ūpokorehe's reserve was located within their ancestral Ohiwa harbour but they suffered a considerable reduction of their land base. 10
With reference to the period imediately following the confiscation of 1866, Karauria Edwards, a leading member of Whakatōhea, wrote: 11
Our people were now well and truly under the control of Government legislation. The Whakatōhea at the height of its power was comprised of numerous hapū, many more than the six we know, these being Ngāi Tama, Ngāti Rua, Ngāti Patu, Ngāti Ngāhere, Ngāti Ira and Te Ūpokorehe.The Courts now began the task of resettling the Whakatōhea on the poorer marginal lands that they had been reduced to. It was the courts that decided that the Whakatōhea would now be comprised of six hapū.
Despite the origin of the decision, Whakatōhea have continued to organise their affairs on the basis of these six hapū. 12
In 2024, Whakatōhea accepted a $100 million deal to settle their Treaty claims. The Crown acknowledged waging war and confiscating Whakatōhea land in a raupatu for which the Crown alone was responsible. The Crown’s actions caused significant loss of life which devastated Whakatōhea communities and created conflict between Whakatōhea hapū. The Crown apologised to Te Whakatōhea who have lived with economic, cultural, and spiritual loss and deprivation as a result of the Crown’s actions which brought dishonour upon itself. 13
Today, the modern hapū of Ngāti Patu is located at Waiaua where they moved their homes and marae after their land at Paerata was confiscated. The wharenui is Ruamoko. Clearly, Tarere and her descendants can identify with Ngāti Patu as one of their hapū. Of more importance is who they choose to identify with and how they feel about where they belong. Concepts of iwi and hapū, how they were formed, named and redefined in different contexts evolved over time. It is a misconception that legitimate membership of a hapū came about exclusively from being able to prove through whakapapa ones descent from specified tīpuna. The politics of exclusion sometimes overlook the tikanga of gaining hapū membership by virtue of living in, and participating in the life of, the community. The Wehi whānau lived together in a small whare just below Waioeka pā. Te Wehi and Tarere lived close by. Their eldest mokopuna Ngapo 'Bub' Wehi said that his grandmother, Tārere Ngāreta Te Rangiātaahua, was originally from Ngāti Ira, a hapū of Te Whakatōhea from Waioweka.
14
Tuwhiti (Dick) Wehi participated fully in the life of the Waioeka community, as did his parents and his children. He consistently identified himself as Ngāti Ira of Te Whakatōhea for example in the 1957 Electoral Rolls.
Notes:
Whakataukī
Mai ngā kurī a Whārei ki Tihirau
Ko te tapu o Muriwai