History

Te Aupōuri are one of the five iwi of Muriwhenua, also known as Te Hiku o te Ika a Māui, the Far North of Aotearoa.

The people of Te Aupōuri share a number of well known ancestors with wider Muriwhenua including:
Kupe of the Mata-whao-rua canoe and Te Ngaki of the Tāwhiri-rangi canoe;
Nukutawhiti of the Ngā-toki-mata-whao-rua canoe;
Ruanui-a-Tāne of the Māmari canoe and his wife Manawa-a-rangi;
Whakatau of the Mahuhu-ki-te-rangi canoe;
Pō-hurihanga of the Kurahaupō canoe and his wife Maieke;
Tū-moana of the Tinana canoe and his wives Pare-waha-ariki and Kahukura-ariki;
Te Parata of the Māmaru canoe and his wife Kahu-tia-nui;
Tōhē and Te Kura-a-rangi;
Tū-mata-hina and Tangi-rere;
Rāhiri, Āhua-iti and Whakaruru;
Ue-oneone and Rei-tū;
Kai-rewa and Wai-miri-rangi;
Toa-kai, Tū-kotia and Tara-whati;
Hāiti-tai-marangai and Puna;
Tū-whakatere , Tū-te-rangi-a-tohia and Tū-poia; and
Moko-hōrea and Uru-te-kawa.

From these ancestors descend two families from which Te Aupōuri as an independent iwi trace our descent:

Firstly, the family of Mōre Te Korohunga and Te Awa. The name ‘Te Aupōuri’ came about from an event in the time of Mōre Te Korohunga and Te Awa’s children – Kupe, Whēru, Te Ikanui, Te Kakati and Te Uruhāpainga.  Mōre Te Korohunga was from Ngāti Ruanui and his wife Te Awa was from Muriwhenua.  Their family were originally 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. 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 or current, pōuri = dark).

Te Aupōuri have their primary turangawaewae at Te Kao

Secondly, the family 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.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. The two families were connected through a common ancestress, Haere-ki-te-rā, the eldest daughter of Waimirirangi.  These are the ancestors of the Te Aupōuri people of Te Kao – “Ngā Uri O Te Ikanui”.

From these ancestors descend two families from which Te Aupōuri as an independent iwi trace their descent

The iwi of Te Aupōuri have their primary turangawaewae at Te Kao at the southern end of the Pārengarenga Harbour, with Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē (Ninety Mile Beach) to the west and Tokerau (Great Exhibition Bay) to the east. Te Aupōuri describe the core 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 and Te Rākau-tū-hakahaka (Simmonds Islands) and north to Muri-motu (North Cape), west to Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Rēinga), 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 historical associations to Rangitāhua (Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands) and south to Waimimiha.

Other iwi of Te Hiku o Te Ika also claim customary interests in this area.