NGATI PUKENGA NGA TAPUWAE KURA (THE SACRED FOOTPRINTS)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NGA TAPUWAE KURA (THE SACRED FOOTPRINTS)

PREAMBLE ...... 6

NGA WAKA ...... 6

Mataatua ...... 6

Horouta Waka and Paikea ...... 7

Te ...... 7

TE TĀWERA O NGĀTI PŪKENGA O NGATI HA! ...... 8

PŪKENGA ...... 9

Rūātoki - Pūkenga’s Birth Site ...... 9

Pūkenga’s Kainga ...... 9

Ko au ki te takutai moana ...... 10

Back to Rūātoki ...... 11

NGĀTI HA ...... 12

Waiaua - Home of Ngāti Ha ...... 12

Ngāti Pūkenga in ...... 14

TE TĀWERA ...... 15

NGĀTI PŪKENGA IN MANAIA ...... 15

NGĀTI PŪKENGA IN PAKIKAIKUTU ...... 18

OTHER NGĀTI PŪKENGA SETTLEMENTS ...... 21

Awataha (Auckland) ...... 21

Mahurangi (Matakana) ...... 21

Whangaruru ...... 21 CROWN ACTIONS AGAINST NGĀTI PŪKENGA

PART A: GENERAL CLAIMS ...... 24

Raupatu (invasion and war) and land confiscation (te Muru Raupatu) ...... 24

Division of the of Ngāti Pūkenga ...... 24

The Ngāti Pūkenga iwi is landless ...... 25

Ngāti Pūkenga iwi are in a poor state ...... 25

PART B: LAND LOSS AND KEY CLAIMS RELEVANT TO EACH KAINGA ...... 26

Pakikaikutu ...... 26

Manaia ...... 27

Tauranga ...... 28

Maketu ...... 30

4

NGA TAPUWAE KURA (THE SACRED FOOTPRINTS)

PREAMBLE ‘He whenua te toto o te tangata’

Land plays an important part in the Maori psyche. Many waiata and proverbs have been composed about land and its place in tribal culture. Ngāti Pūkenga are no different. Through Crown ommissions and Treaty breaches Ngāti Pūkenga was seperated from the lands of their forefathers. Our ancestors strenuously sought for justice. The Crown, its instruments and agents did not understand Ngati Pukenga. We did not fit their worldview. We were not confined to one geographic area. We were not the product of one line of ancestry or affilliated to only one waka. Our holdings were extensive. These were removed from us. Our lands in were confiscated and not returned to us. Our status as a tribe has been challenged ever since that time. The Court officials, judges and so called historians wrote us out of presence. Iwi around us have not treated us with equal respect. We are called upon to defend our existence at every step. We have variously been described as a hapu of Ngai Te Rangi, Whakatohea, , Ngapuhi and Ngati Maru to name a few. Many of our people choose not to identify with Ngāti Pūkenga because we do not enjoy a high status or are talked about in non-mana enhancing ways. We live with stigma. We aim to rectify and restore the mana of our ancestors for the benefit of the generations that follow. This is our story...our truth.

We acknowledge there are other truths but when standing in our house, the Pūkenga house, this is the truth as we see it. Every tribal truth is like this. Just as when you stand and view Mauao from each corner of Tauranga Moana, it looks different, so does every tribal truth. And just as every description of Mauao is correct, as it is the very same mountain, so too are the truths of our whanaunga iwi. Now let our story begin...

NGA WAKA

Mataatua Ngāti Pūkenga are Mataatua people. The Mataatua canoe captained by Toroa left Hawaiki and made land fall in Whakatane. Taken by his younger brother Puhi, the canoe travelled North landing for a short time at Tauranga. The Mataatua crew named it ‘Te Tauranga o Mataatua’, or ‘The Landing place of Mataatua’. This canoe continued its journey North where it remains today. Here is the genealogy:

6

Toroa

Wairaka

Tamateakitehuatahi

Tanemoeahi

Pukenga

Horouta Waka and Paikea

We are of Paikea who navigated the Pacific waters on the back of magical whale. Passing Tauranga, he finally landed at Whangara. One of our descent lines is from his son Pouheni who begat:

Tarawhakatu

Nanaia

Porourangi (from whom the Ngati Porou tribe claims mana)

Rongomaianiwaniwa

Aparere

Haupunoke

Rongowhakaata. (He married Uetupuke from Whangara who belonged to the Ngai Tamahenga.)

Rongopopoia

Rongopopoia was raised in the house of Tanemoeahi, Pukenga’s father. Rongopopoia is the eponymous ancestor of Ngati Ha.

Te Arawa

The Arawa canoe made its way from Hawaiki and and while traversing the shoreline along Papamoa, one of the chiefs on board, Hei, stood and claimed the land for his son Waitaha. This area is known today as Tauranga and Te Puke and were occupied by Hei’s descendants. Ngāti Pūkenga claim mana through Hei and his descendants down to Kumaramaoa and Te Pukuohakoma. The pedigree is as follows:

7

Hei Waitaha Manutohikura Te Aoterangi Te Aorewa Te Naia Waiokehu Takakopiri Tuparahaki

Iwikoroke Kumaramaoa Te Pukuohakoma

In the time of Takakopiri the lands on the Te Puke side of the Otawa range were given to Iwikoroke and those on the Tauranga side to Kumaramaoa. Iwikoroke gave Te Pukuohakoma a piece of his estate which was between Kumaramaoa and himself. Ngāti Pūkenga are therefore Kumaramaoa and Pukuohakoma people and succeeded to their interests along with the hapu of Rangataua, Ngati He and Nga Potiki. The Te Tāwera name is particularly important in this respect and this will be elaborated upon further.

TE TĀWERA O NGĀTI PŪKENGA O NGATI HA!

Ngāti Pūkenga also known as Ngāti Hā and Te Tāwera were a tribe renowned as warriors and priests in days gone by. These three tribal currents of genealogy merged into one torrent of tribal mana derived from the Mataatua, Te Arawa and Horouta canoes. Those tribal mana are unified today as Ngāti Pūkenga.

Our tribe has many proverbial sayings (whakatauki) about this and are richer than most tribes in this repect. Our people have strived to uphold this tradition. Not necessarily as priests and warriors in the traditional sense, but as educators, innovators and leaders in many spheres.

We were called upon by other tribes in their times of need. Our willingness to do so were based on ‘take’, or just causes such as ‘whanaungatanga’, our relationships born of whakapapa (genealogy) and common purpose, and not soley for payment as some historians have insinuated. This has led to the wide dispersal of land interests. We are unique and our history does not easily conform to accepted norms. We have always been this way. 8

Our sacred footprint or ‘Tapuwae Kura’ spans the length and breadth of , because we were a warrior race. Our ‘take’ on the land and the environment at large are many.

Our tupuna Te Kouorehua signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Tauranga in April of 1840. He solemnly considered the committment he was making on behalf of his tribe and adamently contended that the Crown had not honoured that agreement in latter years. It has been 170 years and 11 days since Te Kouorehua committed our people to the Tiriti promises...and still we wait.

All of his efforts, the efforts of his contemporaries and those who succeeded them were to no avail however. His lands and ‘take’ rights in Tauranga were not honoured and as a result, our tribal interests were extinguished at the stroke of a pen.

Successive Administrations have continued this treatment of Ngāti Pūkenga. Historians and ethnographers have consigned us to the scrap heap of history...but we still survive and as the descendants of ancestors famed for their warrior spirits we too uphold that legacy in the search for justice.

PŪKENGA

Rūātoki - Pūkenga’s Birth Site

Our ancestor Pūkenga was the product of prophecy. His mother, Tānehiwarau of the Te Whānau a Tairongo clan from Rūātoki married Tānemoeahi a high chief of the Mataatua people. Indeed Tānemoeahi was reknowned as a warrior of repute. Along with his older brother Ueimua, and their younger brother Tūhoe, they were a force to be reckoned with and were proverbially known as ‘Te Tokotoru a Paewhiti (Paewhiti’s Three Children).

When Tānehiwarau conceived, the tribal shaman predicted that her child would attain great laurels on the field of battle and would, like himself, inherit the shamanistic legacy of his forebears. For this reason on the birth of her child he was given the name ‘Pūkenga’, a repository of the esoteric wisdom of his people and highly skilled warrior in the service of Tū, the god of war.

Pūkenga’s Kainga

Pūkenga grew to manhood in Rūātoki. His playgrounds were the hills that surround that valley, the vastness of the Urewera forest, and the many tributaries that feed into the Ohinemataroa river that flows through Rūātoki. His fathers’ pā, Ōhae, near Whaitiripapā and Pūtiki on the northern side of the Ohinemataroa where the Owhakatoro stream cascades through the small valley, were his abodes. His brothers, of which he had many, were his kin and playmates, as were his innumerable cousins. 9

Ko au ki te takutai moana

On reaching manhood Pūkenga and his younger brother Ahuru determined on an adventure to retrace their fathers steps to the West. Tānemoeahi, an adventurous soul in his youth, had ventured to a far off place called ‘Tauranga’ where he had encountered many trials,tribulations and challenges. Pūkenga determined to do the same. Travelling by foot, Ahuru and Pūkenga made their way travelling along well trodden pathways, by the coast and eventually made it to Tauranga Moana. What a wonderful sight it must have been, clothed in lush verdant vegetation, rich fertile soil, brimming gardens resplendant with Rongo’s gift, the kūmara, thickly wooded ranges, the succulent oi, or tītī (mutton bird as they are commonly known on the outlying islands) and of course, the harbour and coastal waters teaming with every variety of fish such as snapper, mullet and flounder in the warmer months, kina, large creamy mussels and pāua in the shallows at low tide. A paradise bathed in sunshine more months of the year than other places, with enough fresh water to ensure bountiful crops from spring to autumn and higher ground offering safe havens in time of war. None of this was lost on the two travellers as they made their way through the district, being entertained enroute by the local Ngā Mārama tangata whenua with whom they had cordial relations.

Desirous to gain a better perspective of all of this wonderous country they determined to climb to the highest peak to gain that vantage point. Following the great rivers emanating from the vastness of the great forest mountain range before them, they eventually made the summit after a day’s hike.

In the evening as Te Rā, the sun, slowly made his descent beyond the Waikato peaks of Maungatautari and Pirongia to the West, the light faded casting a wonderous effect upon the canvass below. From their temporary camp they could view as Kings, the plains of Waikato and the undulating foothills of Tauranga, subdued tones enhancing this coastal vista even more.

Pulling from their kit the evening’s meal, Pūkenga, wanting to make the most of this opportunity, said to his brother ‘Kia kai mai tāua i konei’ (‘Let us partake of our meal here’). This quote led to the naming of the range of mountains upon which they were ensconced, ‘Kaimai’ and a marker for all time of Pūkenga and his descendants connections with this place.

The night fell, ruru, peho, koukou, matuku and many others of Tāne’s myriad feathered retinue struck up the evening chorus of bush song, lulling the two brothers into peaceful repose. The stars above, known intimately by name, reminded them of the deeds of their ancestors who toiled across the great ocean of Kiwa before them, who settled Papatuanuku and named each of her contours, the battles, heroism, bravery, kindness forever remembered. They now had their own adventures to add to the annals of the tribal

10

histories. They, like their ancestors before them, would be recalled long after their final journey to the realm of their ancestress Hinenuitepō who cares for all the departed in the afterlife. This journey, that quote, and the deeds to come would be passed from father to son, generation to generation. Ahuru, falling asleep, dreamed of the beautiful Waikato lands while Pūkenga thought only of Tauranga.

Woken by the cries of kākā, kererū and small tīwaiwaka dancing dexteriously before them, challenging them to come closer, the two brothers arose, dowsed the camp fire, partook of a meal and readied for the day ahead. Standing once more at the vantage point, the brothers expressed their desire to return to these places one day and make them home. Pūkenga said to his younger brother ‘Ko koe ki te tuawhenua, ko au ki te takutai moana’ (Brother you proceed inland and I will go to the coast). This simple statement sealed for all time a bond with the land, with these places. This statement is one that their descendants abide by this very day.

Ahuru excited by the prospects which lay ahead of him and more adventures no doubt to be had, embraced his brother in a hongi, bid him farewell and off he went down the hill to fulfill his dream. Eventually marrying into the local Ngāti Raukawa tribe in Ngātira, his descendants honoured his memory after his final journey home, naming themselves Ngāti Āhuru. They remain today at Ngātira and in their house Te Tikanga, painted on the roof are images of two canoes, and Mataatua. They too are holders of this story today.

Back to Rūātoki

Pūkenga, being the elder, hurried back to Rūātoki to inform his parents of their plans. All the time he wished only to remain in Tauranga, but tikanga dictated he speak with his parents, hapū and iwi.

Unfortunately on his return home to Rūātoki, to Owhakatoro, the fires of war had been fanned into a blaze. Worse still, the war was against his father’s eldest brother, Ueimua, who had offered an insult to Tūhoe that he would eat his heart. So dire was this insult that only blood could wash the slate clean. His father and his Uncle Tūhoe were determined to teach their brother a lethal lesson. The whole of the tribe were arrayed against each other. Sides were chosen and war drills resounded throughout the territory. The trumpets of war bellowed forth and every man raced into the valley of death.

Pūkenga, knowing that he could not leave his father in his hour of need, prepared himself and his young family. Holding fast to his dream of returning to Tauranga and sharing it with them, he told them that should the war become even worse, they must leave the Rūātoki area lest they also fall victim to it. His fate he did not know, but the fate of his family and descendants after him he wished to secure.

11

Sallying forth the next morning at the head of his legion, Pūkenga and his warriors fought valiantly. It is said that the fighting was so intense that the river ran red with the blood of those slain in battle. The tide of battle turned in their favour and Tānemoeahi captured his brother Ueimua and forced him to the ground. Tūhoe standing over his brother offered a single fatal blow to the cranium. Taking a sharp object he cut Ueimua’s heart out and roasted it on the spot. This place Paemāhoe, is better known today as ‘Te Ahi Manawa’ (The Heart Fire).

The wars didn’t cease with this affair, but instead intensified. Pūkenga led his army once more into battle, which was to be his last. He met his end on the battle fields of Rūātoki; his last resting place a sacred burial cave of his mother’s people called Ōkawekawe. He did not realise his dream of returning to Tauranga but his descendants did.

NGĀTI HA

Waiaua - Home of Ngāti Ha

During the troubles in Rūātoki, Ueimua’s two remaining brothers decided to leave the district. Tūhoe went West eventually settling in Kāwhia where he met his end. Tānemoeahi headed to Ōhiwa, where his wife’s people had interests and settled in the Onekawa Pā. While at this place he heard of a beautiful young woman from the East Coast named Uetūpuke who had recently arrived at the pā called Te Karaka.

Uetūpuke was once married to a great chief from Gisborne. Their marriage though was frought and she left him despite being with child. Rongowhakaata followed her to Opotiki in the hope she would reconsider her decision. On arrival and after speaking with her, it was clear she was not interested. Rongowhakaata therefore asked her one last favour, that if the child was born a female, she would be named for the current of the river, the route by which he made his journey from Gisborne, but if a male, he was to be named after ‘te popoia o taku taringa’, the tragus (thus making him tapu unto his father). A male child was born and named ‘Rongopopoia’.

Rongopopoia married two sisters, the daughters of Ōhiwa chief Panekaha. By the first sister, Maruwhakaene, he had Hakopūrākau and other children, by Rangiparoro he had Kahuki. These sons were to play an important role in the history of Ngāti Pūkenga.

Rongopopoia was treacherously killed at the mouth of the Waiotahi river, since known as ‘Karihi Pōtae’, a name associated with the manner in which Rongopopoia met his fate at the hands of Tuamutu. This death was later avenged by Hakopūrākau and Kahuki off the coast of Tōrere where Tuamutu was in hiding. Tuamutu met with a watery demise.

12

The Ngāti Ha tribe became established after the death of Rongopopoia, taking their name from his son Hakopūrākau. This tribe spread and inhabited the lands of Opōtiki, predominently the Waiaua river area and ,where they remained for some generations.

On the Western side of the Opōtiki river at Tawhitirahi, the pā of Rōmainohorangi, or Kāhukino as he was also known, the father of Te Rangihouhiri and Tamapahore lived. A Ngāti Ha woman Tūwairua was Kāhukino’s second wife. One day a chief of Ngāti Ha came visiting. Admiring his talking pet tūī, our Ngāti Hā chief made overtures in respect of said bird, to which Kāhukino firmly resisted. Now this was breaking with etiquette. The old time Māori believed generosity the highest of virtues. To deny a chief in particular such a request was tantamount to a challenge to his chieftainship. Ngāti Ha therefore planned revenge for this insult. Raising a war party they attacked the pā and sent the inhabitants on their way.

By this time Ngāti Ha had merged with the descendants of Pūkenga. Hākopūrākau’s grand- daughter married Pūkenga’s grandson Tūhokia (Te Whetūoterangi’s son). The merging of these two great tribes saw both tribal names Ngāti Hā and Ngāti Pūkenga in common usage, though Ngāti Hā was the predominant for many generations.

Pukenga Rongopopoia

Whetuoterangi Hakopurakau

Maruaitio

Tuhokia = Te Aohokaia

The descendants of Te Rangihouhiri became wanderers who, after many tribulations and odysseys on the East Coast, made their way to Maketū with their eyes set firmly on Tauranga Moana as a future home. Their forces depleted and short on allies and options they turned to their one time foes for support. This was forthcoming because Tamapahore’s mother was Tūwairua, whom you will recall was Ngāti Ha, and therefore so was he.

Ngāti Ha under Te Kohokino and Te Tini o Awa came with their forces to Maketū to support their relations who were embroiled in a war with Ngā Oho (Te Arawa). Te Rangihouhiri’s eldest son Tūtengaehe had been killed and so too his father. Ngāti Ha sought to avenge these deaths and those of other Ngāi Te Rangi chiefs killed in battle. At this they were successful. Many raids and victories took place in Tauranga. Many pā sites were left in ruin in the wake of Ngāti Ha.

13

Ngāti Pūkenga in Tauranga

Ngāti Ha or Ngāti Pūkenga as they were becoming known, established their presence in Maketū, eventually marrying into the original inhabitants. Ngāti Ha became ensconced there and remain so today under the tribal name Ngāti Pūkenga. A section of Ngāti Pūkenga became close allies with Te Arawa from this point forward, cementing this allianace with strategic marriages. During the inter-tribal fighting of the nineteenth century the great Pūkenga chief Naenae stood his ground when the combined mass force of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Haua swept through Maketū exclaiming, ‘If I should die, then let it be on my own land!’ He and many Ngāti Pūkenga were sacrificed that day for their land at Maketū. At the seminal battle of Te Tumu in 1836 Ngāti Pūkenga were on both sides! One section fought alongside Ngāi Te Rangi in the pā, and the other on the outside with Te Arawa. This was due to whanaungatanga. Ngati Pukenga were closely connected with both sides.

Further fighting took place in Tauranga which helped to cement Ngāti Ha in Tauranga Moana. The people in occupation were Ngā Mārama, Ngāti Ranginui and Waitaha. There is also evidence to show that a section of Ngāti Pūkenga were also in occupation. They were mingled with Ngā Mārama...but that is another story.

Later migrations of Ngāti Ha saw Te Ikaiti and his people also make their way to Tauranga. By this time they had married into the Waitaha people in Tauranga Moana and identified as such. They were the descendants of Kūmaramaoa. This connection comes to the fore later on under the third of the tribal appellations ‘Te Tāwera’.

Ngāti Ha were now firmly entrenched in Tauranga Moana. Their main strongholds were at Te Whaaro and the Rangataua area in general, from Matapihi (Ohuki) back to Maketū. These lands were shared with the descendants of Tamapahore who had married into the Kūmaramaoa section of Waitaha. Ngāti Pūkenga had intermarried so significantly with Waitaha that the Waitaha hapū Ngāti Te Pukuohakoma were entirely Ngāti Pūkenga, and Ngāti Rereāmanu for all intents and purposes were also considered at the time to be Ngāti Pūkenga.

During this time one of the most well known Ngāti Hā warriors, Kāmaukiterangi, extended Ngāti Hā’s influence into Hauraki, Mōtiti Island and Matakana Island. Hauturu Island in Hauraki was a stronghold of theirs where they lured treacherous, erstwhile allies to their defeat, at the same time avenging the deaths of Te Huhukainahenahe, Puapua and Whakakahu of Ngāi Te Rangi on Matakana Island. For their efforts they were rewarded the Uretureture block on Matakana Island. Tohiariki, a descendant of Kamukiterangi, had his pā fortress on Mōtītī where he was buried. It was said that wherever the Patuwai tribe went, so did Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti Whakahemo likewise.

14

Ngāti Pūkenga settled in Tauranga Moana and for many generations looked after their extensive interests. When Ngai Te Rangi united against Ngāti Pūkenga, most of Ngāti Pūkenga were driven from Rangataua. Some however, remained on their land in Tauranga while others went back to Maketu and elsewhere. Ngāti Pūkenga to date had fought many times in Ngai Te Rangi’s cause, but this ended abruptly after this incident.

TE TĀWERA

Descent from Kūmaramaoa became as important as descent from Pūkenga. Our ancestors expressed this in many ways. Our alliances with Te Arawa increased and expanded. By the nineteenth century the third of the tribal appellations, Te Tāwera, arose. Te Tāwera takes the Kūmaramaoa whakapapa as an important take in terms of claims to the land and merges it with the Ngāti Ha and Ngāti Pūkenga whakapapa.

Unlike most hapu names, Te Tāwera’s name is not derived from an ancestor, rather it comes from an incident which occurred at Maketu. It was in the time of Taitaui, the father of Te Kouorehua, that this name was given to his people. It is important to note here that prior to the following incident, Taitaui and his people were known as Ngāti Pūkenga. It is the incident described below which affected only the name, not the whakapapa or the people.

According to literary sources a woman called Ngahokainga was out early one morning fishing. She was doing rather well catching taunahanaha, and as she would catch each fish she would carefully clean it and carry the fish to her neatly hidden kete among the beach reeds. Unfortunately she was being watched closely by one of the neighbouring people of the Waitaha tribe who decided that it was easier to simply steal the fish rather than attempt to catch their own. Upon returning to her kete Ngaokainga discovered that her hard earned fish had been stolen and she saw running off in the distance, the unscrupulous thieves heading back to their pa carrying her hard earned catch. Upon this she began to wail at her misfortune and gazed upon the early morning star which was then shining high in the morning sky, ‘Aue te Tāwera, te whetu marama i te ata’. From this point forward the descendants of Kumaramaoa and Pūkenga would now be known as Te Tāwera.

NGĀTI PŪKENGA IN MANAIA

It is remembered that Ngāti Maru at Hauraki engaged our services to assist them in avenging the death of their Paramount chief, Te Waha, who was slain by his own relation, Te Whatakaraka of Ngati Raukawa.

The combined armies of Ngāti Pūkenga, Te Patuwai and Marutuahu were led by Te Kouorehua of Ngāti Pūkenga. Te Kouorehua was widely known for his strategic thinking ability and prowess in battle and had won notoriety through his brave actions in earlier battles. Te Kou’s army was formed and marched on Ngati Raukawa’s pa dotted along the

15

Waikato river. During this campaign the victorious army left seven destroyed pa in their wake. The chief Te Whatakaraka, the earlier instigator of these troubles, was captured and killed, thus utu finally being attained for Ngati Maru.

The victorious army returned to Haowhenua pa (near present day Cambridge) and the celebrations began. Utu for Te Waha’s death had been many years in coming and the excitment of finally having attained utu was reaching feverish proportions. Celebrations continued for many many days and then it was noticed that food supplies were becoming very low. Feeding such a great army as well as the normal pa inhabitants had begun to take its toll on the pa’s food supplies. Te Tapuru, realising this, called Te Kouorehua and his people together and said, ‘Na te kore kai, ma koutou taku pataka kai’ (Because we have run low on food here I give you my foodhouse), meaning her land at Manaia.

This is one of many such acts of valour that gained them great laurels and tributes and as the tributes were often in the form of land, by the eighteenth century, Ngāti Pūkenga held lands from one end of the country to the other. They were a people with much to protect.

It would be many more years before Ngāti Pūkenga would actually take up Te Tapuru’s offer, after all Ngāti Pūkenga had their own kainga and rich lands at Tauranga and Maketu, and so while the gift of land was important to acknowledge as part of tikanga it was not necessary to actually take up nor was it ever envisaged that they would need to.

Through the intervening years after the initial gift of Manaia, Ngāti Pūkenga would continue to traverse the Kaimai ranges many times to assist and support their Marutuahu allies. After the great battle of Taumatawiwi between ’s army and the combined Marutuahu tribes, Ngāti Pūkenga were asked to return to Hauraki to assist and strengthen them in case of attack from Ngapuhi. However it had been a long campaign and Ngāti Pūkenga had been a long time away from their own lands at Tauranga and Maketu. They had received word that there had been some troubles brewing back at Maketu and their presence was needed there as well so it was agreed that Te Kouorehua would take part of the army back to Hauraki and that Naenae would take the remainder back to Maketu.

When they arrived at Hauraki (Thames), Taipari, a paramount chief of Marutuahu and a close relation of Te Kouorehua’s, apportioned lands at Kauaeranga to Ngāti Pūkenga to live on. It was considered a temporary home as history records Ngāti Pūkenga continually travelled backwards and forwards to Tauranga and Maketu engaging in battles there and elsewhere around the motu. After sometime here trouble arose where, Paroto, the son of Te Kouorehua, was slapped in the face by a person of Ngati Maru. He had apprently been annoyed by something the boy was supposed to have said to or about him. This insult was all too much for Ngāti Pūkenga who had been urged by Ngati Maru to stay and strengthen the Marutuahu in case of an attack from Ngapuhi. A great council was held but Te Kou refused to accept any type of recompense for the slight on his mana, and so they made

16

preparations to leave and return home to Tauranga. Taraia a chief of Ngati Tamatera, seeing this invited his old army ally, who had accompanied him on his many excursions around the country, to take up lands at Waikawau further up the Thames coast. It was only at Taraia’s request that Te Kou agreed to stay on in Hauraki and then left for Waikawau with his people. Waikawau, like Kauaerunga, became another temporary home for Ngāti Pūkenga and a large wharenui was built, gardens were established and individual kainga were built for housing. Waikawau became home for Ngāti Pūkenga for a number of years before they decided to take up the lands gifted to them many years before by Te Tapuru.

In 1855 Ngāti Pūkenga were invited to go and live on the land gifted to them earlier by Te Tapuru. Te Kouorehua indicated his favor at this request. A meeting was held of all the great chiefs of influence over both the gifted and adjoining lands to agree on the extent of the tuku whenua (gift). Agreement was reached and the boundaries laid down and confirmed by all the influential chiefs of Hauraki. Ngāti Pūkenga left Waikawau to establish themselves on their own land at Manaia.

It is interesting to note here that Ngāti Pūkenga were also awarded a block of land in Tauranga at about the same time. Ngati He, a hapu of Ngai Te Rangi with very strong whakapapa connections to Ngāti Pūkenga asked them to come back to Tauranga and help them in a fight against other Ngai Te Rangi hapu at Matapihi. This they agreed to do. Ngati He presented them with land at Ngapeke, where the present Ngāti Pūkenga marae is, in recognition of this fact. Furthermore it acted as a buffer between Ngati He and Nga Potiki who were at enmity with each other at the time. After the wars of the 1860’s, some Ngāti Pūkenga returned from Manaia to settle this block and remain there to this day. Due to the confiscations Ngati Pukenga were forced to settle on their tuku whenua blocks. Manaia which Te Kouorehua intended to give back to Ngati Maru, was now critical for Ngati Pukenga’s continued survival.

By now, much of the warring nature of Ngāti Pūkenga had been subdued, mostly by Christianity. Te Kouorehua had been captured by the teachings of Brown at Tauranga and other missionaries in Hauraki. He had learned the skills of reading and writing and began communicating with the Government and with sources in mother England. This new found treasure of reading allowed him to expand his knowledge of peoples far beyond the boundaries of Aotearoa. He began to learn of other indigenous peoples and places, and of their eventual demise through colonisation. He quickly drew the similarities between what had happened there and what was occurring around him here in Aotearoa. He became concerned at this and began writing to the Polynesian Society informing them of the happenings in Aotearoa. He also noted that like those countries, the Maori peole were not permitted to own either guns or ammunition as well. He considered this left them exposed and defenceless. This fear eventually led Ngāti Pūkenga to steal 100 kegs of gunpowder from the Colonial Army base stationed at Kawau Island in 1858. This act created much consternation amongst the government of the day, and also many Maori around the 17

country who feared being caught up in any reprisal attack from the Government on Ngāti Pūkenga.

Ngāti Pūkenga began fortifying themselves in their pa in Manaia expecting to be atacked at any moment by the British forces. During the preceeding months tensions were high, particularly in Hauraki and Tauranga. Many attempts to pursuade Ngāti Pūkenga to give up the powder failed. The fear of oppression and colonisation was too great but to others it appeared that they were being obstinate. As a result, Ngāti Pūkenga were chastised and humiliated, and considered an insignificant and foolish tribe living under sufference of the Marutuahu. The Government refused to enter into talks with Ngāti Pūkenga to resolve their deep concerns and fears, instead opting to use this situation as a lesson not only for Ngāti Pūkenga, but also for any other tribe. Eventually the powder was all but returned and Ngāti Pūkenga paid in humiliation and with two of their own waka/schooners used for ferrying trade and produce to and from Manaia to Auckland and the . One of our schooners, ‘Te iwi Pohara’ was given in payment for the Kawau Island incident. Interestingly enough, the name ‘Te iwi Pohara’ means the ‘impoverished tribe’, which indeed we were fast becoming.

NGĀTI PŪKENGA IN PAKIKAIKUTU

The final major Ngāti Pūkenga settlement was Pakikaikutu in the Whangarei Harbour area. This gift of land was made by many of the chiefs of Whangarei including the great Tirarau of Te Parawhau. This gift was in recognition of a major breach where a man from Ngāti Pūkenga was killed by a local for no reason.

At the time, a section of Ngāti Pūkenga led by the venerated Pūkenga chief Moeroa Parertaura, were on a mission to buy firearms and munitions from the European and American arms traders based in and around Russell. These early entrepreuneurs were more than happy to sell arms, liquor and anything else they could to the warring tribes, at the same time growing rich from these transactions. Russell was considered the ‘Hell Hole’ of the Pacific for good reason, as the flotsam and jetsom of the other side of the world had converged in numbers on this majestic bay and lived a lawless existence.

Ngāti Pūkenga by this time were in occupation of many different settlements. Those who were living in Manaia traded regularly their produce in Auckland, the Bay of Plenty and the Bay of Islands. The increased use of firearms to solve inter-tribal disputes was decimating large numbers of people. Ngāti Pūkenga as previously mentioned had planned and effected a daring raid on the munitions dump of Governor Grey on Kawau Island many years prior, as they knew the time was fast approaching when they too would require Pakeha weapons to defend themselves and their lands.

18

Moeroa with a picked band of warriors set forth with their cargo for Pewhairangi (Bay of Islands) with one thing in mind: to procure enough armaments to protect what was dear to them. On their journey, as they passed the entrance to Whangarei harhour, one of the warriors on board expressed a desire to visit his sister, Te Rore, who was the wife of the powerful Whangarei chief, Wharepoaka. Disembarking he made his way towards her kainga. Unbeknown to him he was being tracked by a despicable character with homocidal designs. Reaching a small river the young warrior stooped to partake of the crystal clear waters, to quench his thirst and soothe his parched throat. His assailant crept close and with a mighty rush killed our hapless traveller where he bent. Taking the poor wretch to a suitable place, he proceeded to gut and dissect his victim while his hangi fire burnt to hot embers, heating the stones perfectly for the evening meal. Rear quarter, back steaks and firm breast steamed well in the earth oven, and three short hours later the perpetrator of this crime greedily consumed his meal, washed down with water from the very stream that led to our young warrior’s demise.

Back in the Bay of Islands, word reached Moeroa and his army that their comrade had met a terrible fate. Well armed and primed for battle the canoes sallied forth from the Bay of Islands and at double pace their paddles sliced the peaceful waters of Pewhairangi, flashing in the sunlight as they lifted in unison from the water, to bite once more.

The chiefs of Whangarei also heard news of this treacherous act and that Ngāti Pūkenga were on the warpath and none of them were safe. As it was one of their own who was the perpetrator, they considered what the best course of action might be. Some advocated war preparations, while others cautioned as Ngāti Pūkenga’s reputation proceeded them. They were a ‘warrior race’ dedicated at birth to the God of War. In fact this tribe had been called on previously by Te Parawhau to assist them in their battles, in which they were victorious. They were not to be trifled with.

Te Tirarau and other chiefs decided that because the ‘take’ or reason for Pūkenga’s advance was in fact just, they must respond as rangatira and so they decided that they would meet the war party at Parua Bay en masse. Making quick time the majority of Whangarei chiefs made their way to await the Ngāti Pūkenga.

Meanwhile on the waka, Moeroa issued his commands to his warriors that today was the day of Tu, the God of War! Their duty was to restore the balance by avenging their comrade’s death. Whoever stood in their way would be sent to Hades, to Hinenuitepo, ancestress of the dead! As they came into the harbour and closed on Parua Bay, Moeroa made out the group on shore. Good, he thought, they would not have much further to travel with their paddles and could instead fill their hands with the newly aquired muskets and put them to good use. As they paddled into the shallows a cry rang out, and a single warrior issued forth from the ranks of these chiefs on shore. Moeroa knew them to be so by their noble bearing and the manner in which they were clothed. The lone warrior moved

19

well. He utilised the many forms of martial movements, the diving comorrant, the fantails’ dance, the hammer head shark form. Impressive. The waka flotilla grounded and Moeroa instructed his eager warriors to hold their line and not to attack until he was sure of the strangers’ purpose. He saw Te Tirarau in their ranks, a man whom he respected. They had fought side by side against common foes once upon a time. Pūkenga had assisted their tribe in their battles, so he waited and gave them the benefit of a doubt. Finally the young Whangarei warrior threw his taki dart at Moeroa’s feet and signalled him to retrieve it. Looking to his right he motioned with an eyebrow for his best warrior to take up the challenge. He knew what was expected of him. Picking it up and holding it to his chest, the young challenger wheeled about, slapped one of his his well tattooed legs and launched into a sprint. Moeroa’s man sprung forth at the same time speeding to catch him, a great honour in this ritual of encounter. The assembled Whangarei chiefs and tribesmen watched with bated breath, knowing that mana was on the line. The two men raced towards the Whangarei ranks. At the last moment the Pūkenga warrior with the young warrior easily in his grasp suddenly stopped, turned and returned to his own ranks, not even panting or breaking a sweat. This was good. Moeroa proved his mana and the mana of the Whangarei chiefs was also intact. Maybe not for much longer though he thought to himself. Utu was still required by tribal custom. The challenge issued to them though did show him that the Whangarei chiefs acknowledged the mana of Ngāti Pūkenga.

The Pūkenga warriors moved to the shore line and kneeled on one knee, weapons readied while their chief Moeroa reclined on the sand. Te Tirarau arose to speak and quickly made it obvious that their intentions were honourable. He spoke of the killing and that it was a kohuru, a treacherous deed that must be paid for. As the perpetrator was not to be found, they suggested a solution. The assembly arose and asked the Pūkenga to follow them to the place where their kinsman had been killed and eaten. Arriving at the spot, the Pūkenga warriors shed tears and lamented their loss. The spot where he fell was marked with a small depression. Moeroa spoke and talked of war. How could this stain upon his tribe be washed away? The tribal way was blood retribution. Te Tirarau concurred with him but said that more bloodshed would only lead to tit for tat retribution. His solution was simple and appropriate. For the killing of their kinsman, the local tribes would gift Ngāti Pūkenga the place where their man was felled. More than that, the area would be much larger so that they could remain on the land and become tangata whenua along with the other tribes of Whangarei. Moeroa quietly contemplated this offer. Would this be enough to remove the blood stain? He thought of the wars his Ngāti Pūkenga tribe were already involved in across the country and whether another war in the North was called for. Finally, he arose and said that he would accept the whenua as compensation, that this action would wipe the slate clean, and that from that time on Ngāti Pūkenga would be equal in mana with the other tribes.

20

Moeroa and his people then settled the land known as Pakikaikutu. Ngāti Pūkenga were there en masse although many returned to Tauranga Moana, Manaia and Maketu in the South. Moeroa, now very advanced in years though, decided that his days of war were finished and as the war parties made their way home south, he determined to stay on. His twilight years were lived out at Pakikaikutu and his mana as promised, was respected. He died in his 90’s and is buried at Pakikaikutu, a constant reminder of Maori chivalry and the mana of yesteryear.

OTHER NGĀTI PŪKENGA SETTLEMENTS

The list of areas below where Ngāti Pūkenga has some interest is not exhaustive, but serves to illustrate the unique special qualities and circumstances that makes Ngāti Pūkenga who we are today.

Awataha (Auckland)

The Awataha settlement of Ngāti Pūkenga (Te Tāwera) occured in the nineteenth century alongside the Hauraki iwi, especially the Marutuahu and specifically Ngati Maru. The old people lived on the Awataha block for many years and one of theTāwera who died there is buried in the settler cemetery at Pupuke.

Mahurangi (Matakana)

Our ancestors resided at Mahurangi, Matakana, Whangateau, Pakiri and other places in the area occupied by Ngati Manuhiri today. Their main settlement was at Whangateau. Our people resided there up until the Pakikaikutu case was taken to court. Most of the people were unable to make it to the court because the river was in flood, so Ngamanu Te Wharau of Ngāti Pūkenga went alone.

Whangaruru

Whangaruru and other settlements in the Bay of Islands were not tuku lands. These kainga were shared with Ngati Wai in the main, but also Ngati Manu and Te Kapotai. When our ancestors were corresponding with the Crown from the 1850’s onwards, mention is made of these kainga. One letter in particular identifies their ancestral claims to those places and is signed of by the respective ‘runanga’ in those settlements. No interests are retained in those places today.

21

CROWN BREACHES AGAINST NGĀTI PŪKENGA

This section covers in a very general fashion the key Treaty of Waitangi claims of Ngāti Pūkenga. Part A sets out the key generic iwi claims and Part B canvasses claims relating to specific land loss in each kainga.

PART A: GENERAL TREATY OF WAITANGI CLAIMS

Raupatu (invasion and war) and land confiscation (te Muru Raupatu)

At the heart of the Ngāti Pūkenga Historical Treaty of Waitangi claims are the Raupatu claims of Tauranga and Hauraki and the confiscation (te Muru Raupatu) claims of Tauranga. These claims are a core source of mamae (pains and sorrows) for the iwi today.

The raupatu claims are that the Crown levied war against Māori in Tauranga and Waikato (Hauraki), that Ngāti Pūkenga persons were killed and Ngāti Pūkenga property was taken or destroyed. The suffering of Ngāti Pūkenga people during the wars cannot be understated. The Crown has accepted in previous Treaty settlements that the wars in Waikato (and also in and ) and subsequent confiscation were unjust and unconscionable.1

The has found in favour of Ngāti Pūkenga and other Māori that the raupatu and ensuing confiscation of land in both Waikato and Tauranga was unjust and in breach of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.2

As a consequence of the raupatu in Tauranga, the Crown confiscated Tauranga lands (te Muru Raupatu) in which Ngāti Pūkenga has strong customary interests.3

Division of the iwi of Ngāti Pūkenga

A further important claim for Ngāti Pūkenga is the Crown’s division of the iwi into regional kainga. This was a failure to recognise and provide for the kainga of Ngāti Pūkenga as communities of a wider iwi. The iwi has been divided in terms of the fisheries settlement and Māori Trust Board membership and the signing of the Terms of Negotiations appears to be the first time that the Crown has recognised the iwi of Ngāti Pūkenga and including all of its kainga communities.4 The Waitangi Tribunal has recorded how this circumstance makes Ngāti Pūkenga unusual,

1 Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlement Act 1995, Ngāti Ruanui Claims Settlement Act 2003, Ngāti Tama Claims Settlement Act 2003, Ngāti Awa Claims Settlement Act 2005 2 See Page 172 of the Tauranga Stage 1 Report, “Te Raupatu o Tauranga Moana”, 2004 and see Findings in Part VII, 2.4 of the Hauraki Report, 2006 3 Raupatu is expressly included as a cause of action in the Wai 162, 210, 637, and 1703 claims 4 See Wai 1703 24

“*…+Ngāti Pūkenga as a group now claim interests in different geographic areas that include Hauraki, Tauranga, and even Whangarei, as well as the Maketu and Pukaingataru area. For this reason, their situation within our inquiry appears somewhat different from that of other groups and, as they stated to us, they do not see themselves as able to be merged or grouped with larger iwi groupings. We accept that their issues need to be examined in the context of their rather unusual circumstances.” 5

The Ngāti Pūkenga iwi is landless

A constant theme to the claims of Ngāti Pūkenga is that the remaining lands are owned in individualised titles and are insufficient for the present and future needs of the iwi.

The individualisation of land title remains a major concern for the iwi. The Crown established the Native Land Court which changed the complex customary title into an exclusive title held by individuals rather than the iwi or groups within the iwi. This has had serious negative impacts upon iwi land management. In 1896 Hīrama Mokopapaki was clear that collective ownership was vital to the survival of Ngāti Pūkenga and that any subdivision of the Ngāpeke block would destroy the tribal rangatiratanga:

“The land was given to Ngāti Pūkenga. They have no other land. They want to hold this land in its undivided state – and they entirely disapprove of a partition being made in it. We occupy tribally not individually. As long as we occupy collectively our shares are undispersed and no one claims more than another”.6

Other key Treaty breaches relating to land are the various Crown acts imposing Crown governance over rivers and the foreshore and seabed.

Ngāti Pūkenga iwi are in a poor state

A further general claim is that the iwi are in low socio-economic circumstances compared to non-Māori. This is due to unequal past treatment and arises as a consequence of the Crown’s Treaty breaches.

The state of the iwi has been further degraded through colonisation and assimilationist Crown policies that have seen the deterioration of Ngāti Pūkenga culture and Ngāti Pūkenga language.

5 See Page 34 of the Central Report, “He Maunga Rongo”, 2008 6 Bassett and Kay, Wai 215, #2.549, p3, quoting from Judge Wilson’s Minute Book 9, fols 47-48, 5 June 1896 25

The role of the iwi as kaitiaki within their customary lands has been eroded and overtaken by local and central government.

PART B: LAND LOSS AND KEY CLAIMS RELEVANT TO EACH KAINGA

Pakikaikutu

The essence of the Pakikaikutu claims are:  the loss of the key, and most useable, lands in the Pakikaikutu block. The iwi has been left with steep lands that are difficult to utilise.7  Throughout the Whangarei region the iwi has experienced a lack of input into resource management and fisheries issues. The Pakikaikutu block is shown in the aerial photograph below.

Aerial Photograph of Pakikaikutu Block

The above aerial photograph demonstrates that much of the Pakikaikutu block is covered in bush and is steep. The developed and subdivided areas on the generally flat coastal areas have been lost leaving almost no land remaining that is easy to utilise.

7 Wai 1441 26

Manaia

The principal claims in Manaia are that lands were lost:  For a school site;  To the Crown to pay for survey liens;  Through Crown purchases of individual shares from absentee owners (these lands included wahi tapu); and,  Through a Crown purchase in breach of a trust.8 These lands are shown below.

Manaia Block – Lands lost to survey liens and Crown purchase

The claims also highlight:  the degradation, pollution, and destruction of Ngāti Pūkenga lands and forests through gold mining and other activities managed by the Crown; and, that  the Crown failed to properly provide for the income to the iwi through income from early mining licences.

8 Wai 148 and Wai 285 and as part of the Wai 100 claim community 27

Tauranga

As noted earlier, the key claims in the region revolve around the raupatu and confiscation.9 Other key confiscation-related land claims are that:  The 1864 transaction in relation to Katikati Te Puna blocks was akin to confiscation;  the customary title was converted to a Crown-dervied title throughout the confiscation district;  Within the Confiscated Block itself, the iwi were only returned two 49 acre sections and two quarter-acre town lots; and,  To the east of the “Confiscated Block” Commissioner Clarke failed to properly recognise Ngāti Pūkenga customary interests in all their lands – (eg only returning the Ngāpeke block but failing to properly provide for interests in the Otawa block10).

In relation to the 1864 Katikati Te Puna blocks transaction of 93,000 acres the Tribunal found that the lands were sold in a climate of open Crown pressure.11 Essentially the Ngāti Pūkenga chiefs involved in the transaction were “not free and willing sellers”.12 Ngāti Pūkenga received compensation of £150 for their interests in Katikati Te Puna Blocks and £350 for their interests in the confiscated Block.13 The lands lost are shown below (the Ngāti Pūkenga Deed area for the Katikati Te Puna transaction is shown as “Additional area shown on Tāwera Deed”) :

9 Wai 637, 162, 210, 1703 10 Wai 210 11 See page 198 of the Tauranga Stage 1 Report, “Te Raupatu o Tauranga Moana”, 2004 12 See page 201 of the Tauranga Stage 1 Report, “Te Raupatu o Tauranga Moana”, 2004 13 See page 189 of the Tauranga Stage 1 Report, “Te Raupatu o Tauranga Moana”, 2004 28

Tauranga Confiscation District lands

The lands awarded to Ngāti Pūkenga within the Confiscation District are as follows:

29

Lands Awarded to Ngāti Pūkenga within Confiscation District

In addition, further specific land claims are that:  Land was also subsequently lost from the small amounts of land returned within the Confiscation Block (the two 49 acre and two town sections). These were sold soon after their award;  Within the Ngāpeke block there were Crown and private purchases of the most desirable lands;14  Certain interests in lands were taken as they were deemed “uneconomic” shares and a small amount of compensation was given and other lands were converted from Māori Freehold Land to General title by the Crown without reference to the iwi; and,  The summit of the tribal maunga, Kopukairoa, was taken under public works legislation for a transmitter site.15

Maketu

The key claims for Maketu are that  The Native Land Court failed to recognise customary interests in all Ngāti Pūkenga lands within the Maketu region;16

14 Wai 751 15 Wai 162 16 Wai 815 30

 From the lands that were awarded to Ngāti Pūkenga much was lost to varisous Crown and private purchases and through public works takings; and,  The iwi in the Maketu kainga consider that they are, and have been, marginalised in terms of the fisheries settlement and resource management (particularly within the coastal zones).

31