Te Whakatōhea is a

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

of the eastern

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...

region of

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. Their traditional territory extends along the coastline eastwards from

Ōhiwa Harbour Ōhiwa Harbour is a natural harbour in New Zealand. It is located between the settlement of Ōhope in the Whakatāne District and Ōhiwa in the Ōpōtiki District of the Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand. Geography The Ōhiwa Harbour is a dro ...

Opape Opape is a small coastal settlement in the Ōpōtiki District of the Bay of Plenty Region on New Zealand's North Island. It is east of Omarumutu Opape is the eastern end of the traditional territory of the Whakatōhea Māori people, Māori iwi ...

, and inland to

Mātāwai Mātāwai is a small inland settlement in the Gisborne Region in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the upper reaches of the Mōtū River, in the Raukumara Range. It is on State Highway 2 between Gisborne and Ōpōti ...

, and is centred in the area around the town of

Ōpōtiki Ōpōtiki (; from ''Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti'') is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council, the mayor of Ōpōtiki and comes under the Bay of Plenty Region ...

. These lands have long held an abundance of food resources, particularly seafood. All their historical

pā The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori people, Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive :wikt:terrace, terraces – and also to fo ...

were situated near the coast, to defend the marine resources. In the 2006 Census, 12,072 people claimed an affiliation with Te Whakatōhea.

History

Pre-European history

One of Te Whakatōhea's earliest ancestors was chief Tarawa and his brother Tuwharanui, who had been left behind when the ''Te Tohorā''

waka WAKA (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Selma, Alabama, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Montgomery area. It is owned by Bahakel Communications alongside Tuskegee-licensed CW+ affiliate WBMM (channel 22); B ...

left Hawaiki, and so built '' Te Arautauta'' waka to join the rest of their people in New Zealand. They arrived at Paerātā, east of the Waiōtahe River. Tarawa released two pet tanahanaha fish into a spring on the eastern bluff above Waiōtahe Beach, which came to be known as ''Ōpōtiki-mai-tawhiti''. Tarawa continued up the Mōtū River and married Manawa-ki-aitu. The tribe's next prominent ancestor was Tautūrangi of his own Te Wakanui tribe, who arrived with the ''

Nukutere ''Nukutere'' was one of the Māori migration canoes that brought Polynesian migrants to New Zealand. ''Nukutere'' is one of the lesser known canoes. However, the descendants of the ''Nukutere'' migrants can be found in Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Poro ...

'' waka around 26 generations before 1900CE. It made landfall on a rocky cove and was moored to a flat white rock now known as ''Te Rangi''. Tautūrangi then sailed the waka around to Te Kōtukutuku and went ashore, where he went up the Waiaua Valley to a high point named Kapuarangi where he installed his

atua Atua are the gods and spirits of the Polynesian people such as the Māori or the Hawaiians (see also ). The literal meaning of the Polynesian word is "power" or "strength" and so the concept is similar to that of '' mana''. Many of the atua ...

, Tamaīwaho. Nine generations after the arrival of ''Nukutere'', the next waka to arrive was ''

Mātaatua ''Mātaatua'' was one of the great voyaging canoes by which Polynesians migrated to New Zealand, according to Māori tradition. Māori traditions say that the ''Mātaatua'' was initially sent from Hawaiki to bring supplies of kūmara to Māori ...

'' which landed at

Whakatāne Whakatāne ( , ) is a town located in the Bay of Plenty Region, Bay of Plenty Region in the North Island of New Zealand, east of Tauranga and northeast of Rotorua. The town is situated at the mouth of the Whakatāne River. The Whakatāne Dis ...

with

kūmara The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of the ...

, and carried the ancestress Muriwai, the eldest daughter of Wekanui and Irākewa whose other two children, sons, were Toroa and Puhi. The three siblings also had a half brother, Tāneatua. In Te Whakatōhea's traditions Muriwai spoke the famous words , or , which is roughly translated to "make me stand like a man" as ''Mātaatua'' was being swept back out to sea, while Muriwai's brothers and their men were scouting the land. It was these words that gave her the right to pull the waka back to safety, and from these words being spoken at the landing place that ''Whakatane'' gets its name. Toroa's daughter Wairaka was an ancestress of

Ngāti Awa Ngāti Awa is a Māori iwi (tribe) centred in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. It is made of 22 hapū (subtribes), with 15,258 people claiming affiliation to the iwi in 2006. The Ngāti Awa people are primarily located in towns ...

and

Ngāi Tūhoe Ngāi Tūhoe (), often known simply as Tūhoe, is a Māori people, Māori iwi (tribe) of New Zealand. It takes its name from an ancestral figure, Tūhoe-pōtiki. ''Tūhoe'' is a Māori-language word meaning 'steep' or 'high noon'. Tūhoe people a ...

. Muriwai's son Rēpanga went to Ōpōtiki and married Ngāpoupereta, their descendant Ruatakena became the ancestor of

Ngāti Rua Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

takena. Muriwai's daughter Hine-i-kauia followed Rēpanga and married Tūtāmure, born eight generations after Tautūrangi's arrival in New Zealand. He established the eastern boundary between the tribes of Te Wakanui and

Ngāi Tai Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

at Tōrere, and inland from Te Rangi cove to Ōroi. He led an attack against

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi (tribe) located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The Kahungunu iwi also comprises 86 hapū (sub-tribes ...

at Maungakāhia to avenge the murder of his sister Tāneroa, murdered by her husband. Tautūrangi's attacks were so vicious that he broke his weapon, a

mere Mere may refer to: Places * Mere, Belgium, a village in East Flanders * Mere, Cheshire, England * Mere, Wiltshire, England People * Mere Broughton (1938–2016), New Zealand Māori language activist and unionist * Mere Smith, American television ...

, and had to swap it for another more durable mere made of whalebone. With this he smashed the heads of his enemies, and buried them in the ground. For this his people became known as Te Panenehu ("the buried heads"). Tautūrangi established the Poutōtara pā inland at Waiaua to defend against further attacks from Ngāti Kahungunu. The ancestral house at Omarumutu marae is named ''Tutamure'' and the dining room is named ''Hine-i-kauia'', and behind the marae Tautūrangi occupied another pā on the Mākeo hill. Their descendants would become Te Whakatōhea. Tautūrangi's western counterpart was Kahuki of the Whakatāne hapū. Kahuki conquered the nearby territory in revenge for the killing of his father Rongopopoia, after which he returned to Waiōtahe and constructed a pā close to the river. Whakatāne and Ngāti Raumoa, including the Te Ūpokorehe hapū, were living on Waiōtahe and Ōhiwa land which were under Kahuki's control. Te Ūpokorehe were subjected to attacks from Ngāti Awa on the western border, and sought refuge at Ōpōtiki. Ngāti Awa and their ally Ngāi Tūhoe would meet with Whakatōhea and their chief Te Rupe for one final battle at

Ōhope Ōhope is a coastal town situated on the northeastern coast of the Eastern Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's North Island. It is six kilometres east of Whakatāne, and is located between Ōhiwa Harbour to the south and Ōhope Beach to the north ...

. Te Rupe was able to boost his peoples' moral with the

haka Haka (, ; singular ''haka'', in both Māori language, Māori and New Zealand English) are a variety of ceremonial dances in Māori culture. A performance art, hakas are often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the f ...

''Te kōtiritiri te kōtaratara'', and won the battle. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the final, defining battle against Ngāi Tai was done at Awahou under Punāhamoa's leadership. Ngāi Tai's leader Tūterangikūrei was killed, and his head preserved as a trophy. Ngāi Tai were able to take Tūterangikūrei's head back in exchange for the

pounamu Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in the South Island of New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture. Name The Māori word ...

adze An adze () or adz is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes have been used since the Stone Age. They are used for smoothing or carving wood in ha ...

Waiwharangi, which today is held in the Whakatāne Museum.

Modern history

The iwi initially had good relations with European settlers and Christian missionaries. However, in 1865, following the murder of German missionary Carl Völkner, and with increasing demands from European settlers for more land, Crown soldiers invaded Te Whakatōhea land. Almost 600 km² of Whakatōhea land was confiscated by the Crown under the New Zealand Settlements Act of 1863. All the hapū were crowded into one area, the Ōpape Native Reserve. During the twentieth century there was increasing recognition that Whakatōhea had suffered grievances at the hands of the Crown. In 1996, the New Zealand government signed a Deed of Settlement, acknowledging and apologising for the invasion and confiscation of Whakatōhea lands, and the subsequent economic, cultural and developmental devastation suffered by the iwi. A settlement between Whakatōhea and the Crown and redress was finalised on 27 May 2023. Tuiringa Manny Mokomoko, an activist for tūpuna who died in 1866, received a Royal Pardon in 1992 over wrongful confiscation of Māori land.

Hapū and marae

Whakatōhea consists of about 17,000 whānau belonging to six hapū. The status of

Te Ūpokorehe Te Ūpokorehe is a Māori people, Māori iwi (tribal group) located in the eastern Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. There is currently a dispute over whether it is a hapū (sub-tribe) of Whakatōhea or an iwi (tribe) in its own right. The ...

, a tribal group covering an area between

and

, is in dispute. It was included as a hapū within Whakatōhea when the Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board was established in 1952. Some consider it part of Whakatōhea and want it to be part of the iwi's

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...

settlement, while others consider it a separate iwi and want it to have its own

Waitangi Tribunal The Waitangi Tribunal (Māori: ''Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi'') is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. It is charged with investigating and making recommendations on c ...

hearing and settlement.

Governance

The Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board was established in 1952 to administer the assets of the iwi, and provides members with education, health services and training in various commercial fields. It is a charitable trust governed by two representatives from each of the six hapū, and based in Ōpōtiki. It is also accountable to the Minister of Maori Affairs and is governed by the Maori Trust Boards Act. The trust represents the tribe's fisheries interest under the Māori Fisheries Act 2004, and its aquaculture interests under the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004. It represents the tribe during consultation on resource consent applications under the

Resource Management Act 1991 The Resource Management Act (RMA) passed in 1991 in New Zealand is a significant, and at times, controversial Act of Parliament. The RMA promotes the sustainable management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water. New Zea ...

. The Whakatōhea Pre-Settlement Claims Trust represents the tribe during

settlement negotiations. The

New Zealand Government The New Zealand Government () is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most other parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifica ...

recognised the trust's mandate to represent the iwi with an Agreement in Principle signed with the Crown on 18 August 2017. The trust is governed by one trustee elected from each of six hapū, one trustee appointed from each of eight marae, and an additional trustee appointed by Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board. The trust is administered by the same staff as the trust board, in the same offices in Ōpōtiki. Roimata Marae say they aren't represented on the trusts and the trusts cannot act on their behalf. The tribal area of Whakatōhea is located within the boundaries of

Ōpōtiki District Council Ōpōtiki District Council or Opotiki District Council () is the territorial authority for the Ōpōtiki District of New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses� ...

and

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Bay of Plenty Regional Council () is the administrative body responsible for overseeing regional land use, environmental management and civil defence in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. It was founded as part of the 1989 N ...

Media

Pan-tribal iwi station

Sea 92FM A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order sections ...

broadcasts to members of Whakatōhea,

Ngāitai Ngāitai is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) centred around Tōrere in the eastern Bay of Plenty of New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () ...

and

Te Whānau-ā-Apanui Te Whānau-ā-Apanui is a Māori iwi (tribe) located in the eastern Bay of Plenty and East Coast regions of New Zealand's North Island. In 2006, the iwi registered 11,808 members, representing 13 hapū. History Early history During the 17th ce ...

in the

area. It is operated by pan-tribal service provider Whakaatu Whanaunga Trust, and is available on . It operates the low-power Opotiki 88.1 FM, geared towards a young demographic.

Notable people

* Tuakana Aporotanga, tribal leader and Ringatu tohunga *

Te Raumoa Balneavis Henare Raumoa Te Huatahi Balneavis (26 March 1880 – 13 May 1940) was a New Zealand interpreter, private secretary and public administrator of Māori people, Māori descent. Through his mother Te Rina Matewai he was connected to Ngāi Tām ...

, interpreter and administrator *

Whirimako Black Barbara Whirimako Black (born ) is a New Zealand Māori people, Māori recording artist and actress. Black sings mostly in the Māori language, uses traditional Māori musical forms and collaborates with traditional taonga pūoro instruments. ...

, singer and actress *

Tangimoe Clay Tangimoe Clay is a New Zealand weaver and textile artist. She is affiliated with the Whakatōhea and Ngāti Ngahere iwi. Her artworks are held by the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Biograph ...

, weaver and textile artist * Pāora Kīngi Delamere, carpenter and boat-builder * Matiu Dickson, academic and politician * George Gage, Ringatū minister *

Wira Gardiner Sir Harawira Tiri Gardiner (4 September 1943 – 17 March 2022) was a New Zealand soldier, public servant, and writer. He was Māori people, Māori, of Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pikiao, Whakatōhea, and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent. Early life and p ...

, soldier, civil servant and writer *

Ākenehi Hei Ākenehi Hei ( 1878–28 November 1910), sometimes called Agnes Hei, was a Māori district nurse and midwife in New Zealand. She was the first Māori to become a qualified nurse. Nursing during a typhoid epidemic, she too caught the disease ...

, nurse and midwife *

Kayla Imrie Kayla Imrie (born 4 February 1992) is a New Zealand canoeist. She represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She competed alongside Jaimee Lovett, Caitlin Ryan and Aimee Fisher in the Women's K-4 500 metres event. After having ...

, canoeist * Brent Kerehona Pukepuke-Ahitapu, academic, weaver and authorHongi Hika: A Portrait. Journal of Museum Ethnography No. 32 2019. pp. 209-224. ''Hongi’s Hikoi: Tales through Tāonga''. Oceanic Arts Society. https://www.oceanicartsociety.org.au/hongis-hikoi-tales-through-taonga/ Chau Chak Wing Museum. https://publish.twitter.com/?query=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fccwm_sydney%2Fstatus%2F1649279402000388096&widget=Tweet *

Paratene Matchitt Paratene Temokopuorongo Matchitt (10 August 1933 – 19 July 2021) was a New Zealand sculptor and Painting, painter, known for combining traditional Māori culture, Māori art forms with those of modernist art. His work also references events fr ...

, sculpture and painter * Gareeb Stephen Shalfoon, musician * Charles Shelford, soldier *

Frank Shelford Frank Nuki Ken Shelford (born 16 May 1955) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A flanker, Shelford represented Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay at provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 198 ...

, rugby union player * Matiu Te Auripo Te Hau, teacher and community leader * Hira Te Popo, tribal leader * Michael Walker, biologist

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whakatohea Iwi and hapū