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”.
Te Aupōuri describe the area in which they have customary rights and associations, of varying types and nature, as running from Ngāpae in the south-west, east to Ngātū and Waipapakauri Stream, north to the mouth of the Rangaunu Harbour,to Motu-puruhi & Te Rākau-tū-hakahaka (Simmonds Islands) and Muri-motu (North Cape), west to Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga), encompassing Oromaki, Manawa-tāwhi, Moe-kawa and Ohau (Three Kings Islands), south to Motu-o-Pao (Cape Maria van Diemen), to Kahokawa (Scotts Point), Matapia, Waka-te-hāua (The Bluff), Hukatere and back to Ngāpae. Te Aupōuri also maintain an historical association to Rangitāhua (Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands).
Other iwi, particularly Ngāti Kurī to the north and Ngāi Takoto to the south, also claim customary interests in this area.
Tēnei te mihi nui ki a koutou, ngā whakaironga kanohi ora o Tōhē, o Tūmatahina, o Waimirirangi, ngā uri whakaheke o Mōre Te Korohunga rāua ko Te Awa, o Te Ihupango rāua ko Te Amongaariki. I heke iho tēnei iwi o tātou i ngā waka o Kurahaupō, o Māmari, me ērā atu o ngā waka tupuna o Te Tai Tokerau. Ka tatū iho ki te tokorima a Mōre Te Korohunga rāua ko Te Awa i mātāpuna mai ai te ingoa o 'Te Aupōuri', ki a Kupe, Whērū, Te Ikanui, Te Kakati me Te Uruhāpainga.
Ka moe a Te Ikanui i a Tihe rāua ko Kohine, ngā tamāhine a Te Amongariki, ariki tapairu o Pārengarenga moana, Pārengarenga whenua, Pārengarenga tangata, "he rahi e, he rahi e!" Ka puta te iwi o Te Aupōuri ki Te Kao, te kāinga e aroha nuitia nei, i pepehatia rā e ngā tūpuna, "Kāhore he papa whenua o te ao nui i rite ki tēnei tōna makoha mai ki ahau."
