The people of Te Aupōuri share a number of well known ancestors with the iwi of wider Muriwhenua including: Ruanui-a-Tāne & Manawa-a-rangi; Pō-hurihanga & Maieke; Tū-moana, Pare-waha-ariki & Kahukura-ariki; Te Parata & Kahu-tia-nui; Tōhē & Te Kura-a-rangi; Tū-mata-hina & Tangi-rere; Kai-rewa & Wai-miri-rangi; Toa-kai, Tū-kotia & Tara-whati; Hāiti-tai-marangai & Puna; Tū-whakatere, Tū-te-rangi-a-tohia & Tū-poia and Moko-hōrea & Uru-te-kawa.
From these ancestors descend two families from which Te Aupōuri as an independent iwi trace their descent: firstly the family of Mōre Te Korohunga of Ngāti Ruanui and his wife Te Awa of Muriwhenua, who became known as Ngāti Te Awa (the descendants of Te Awa).
The name 'Te Aupōuri' came about from an event in Pawarenga at the time of Mōre Te Korohunga and Te Awa's children - Kupe, Whēru, Te Ikanui, Te Kakati and Te Uruhāpainga. One day, following the murder of Kupe, and her brother’s revenge, Ngāti Te Awa were besieged in Makora Pā. Finally, Ngāti Te Awa lit a huge fire covering the Whangapē Harbour with thick dark smoke. They managed to escape north across the harbour in the midst of the dense smoke to their mother’s lands further north. Hence the name Te Aupōuri (au = smoke, pōuri = dark).
The second family that Te Aupōuri descend from is that of Te Ihupango and Te Amongaariki II, who had two daughters - Tihe and Kohine. Te Amongaariki II is especially important to Te Aupōuri being the principal ancestress of the Te Kao lands and the southern Pārengarenga Harbour.
Mōre Te Korohunga & Te Awa's son, Te Ikanui, married Te Ihupango & Te Amongaariki II's daughters, Tihe & Kohine. These are the ancestors of the Te Aupōuri people of Te Kao – “Ngā Uri O Te Ikanui”.
