Te Whakatohea
Encyclopedia
Te Whakatōhea are a Māori iwi
located in the eastern Bay of Plenty
region of New Zealand
. The iwi comprises six hapu: Ngāi Tamahaua, Ngāti Ira, Ngāti Ngahere, Ngāti Patumoana, Ngāti Ruatakena and Te Ūpokorehe. In the 2006 Census, 12,072 people claimed an affiliation with Te Whakatōhea.
The iwi is traditionally centred in the area around the town of Opotiki
. The traditional territorial lands extend eastwards from Ohiwa Harbour to Opape along the coastline, and inland to Matawai. These lands have long held an abundance of food resources, particularly seafood. Most of the marae
of the iwi are located near the coast, historically to defend its marine resources.
and Mataatua
canoes
. Te Whakatōhea are the descendants of Tutamure and Hine-i-kauia. Tūtāmure was a descendant of the Nukutere settlers, and was the leader of the Panenehu tribe. Hine-i-kauia was a descendant of the Mataatua settlers, who arrived in New Zealand nine generations after the Nukutere settlers. Tūtāmure and Hine-i-kauia were married, and their descendants would eventually form the iwi Te Whakatōhea.
For centuries, Te Whakatōhea fought many battles with their neighbours, including Ngāi Tai
in the east, and Ngāti Awa
and Ngāi Tūhoe in the west. 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 Te Whakatōhea land was confiscated by the Crown under the New Zealand Settlements Act of 1863.
The twentieth century saw an increasing government recognition that Te 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 Te Whakatōhea lands, and the subsequent economic, cultural and developmental devastation suffered by the iwi. Te Whakatōhea are presently preparing to negotiate a full settlement with the New Zealand government.
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
located in the eastern Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The iwi comprises six hapu: Ngāi Tamahaua, Ngāti Ira, Ngāti Ngahere, Ngāti Patumoana, Ngāti Ruatakena and Te Ūpokorehe. In the 2006 Census, 12,072 people claimed an affiliation with Te Whakatōhea.
The iwi is traditionally centred in the area around the town of Opotiki
Opotiki
Opotiki is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Opotiki District Council and comes under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.-Population:* of the town: 4176 - Male 1,989, Female 2,187...
. The traditional territorial lands extend eastwards from Ohiwa Harbour to Opape along the coastline, and inland to Matawai. These lands have long held an abundance of food resources, particularly seafood. Most of the marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
of the iwi are located near the coast, historically to defend its marine resources.
History
Te Whakatōhea can trace their history to the arrival of Māori settlers on the NukutereNukutere
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 Porou and in other eastern Bay of Plenty iwi.According to Ngāti Awa...
and Mataatua
Mataatua
In Māori tradition, Mataatua was one of the great voyaging canoes by which Polynesians migrated to New Zealand. Māori traditions say that the Mataatua was initially sent from Hawaiki to bring supplies of kūmara to Māori settlements in New Zealand...
canoes
Maori migration canoes
Various Māori traditions recount how their ancestors set out from their homeland in great ocean-going canoes . Some of these traditions name a mythical homeland called Hawaiki....
. Te Whakatōhea are the descendants of Tutamure and Hine-i-kauia. Tūtāmure was a descendant of the Nukutere settlers, and was the leader of the Panenehu tribe. Hine-i-kauia was a descendant of the Mataatua settlers, who arrived in New Zealand nine generations after the Nukutere settlers. Tūtāmure and Hine-i-kauia were married, and their descendants would eventually form the iwi Te Whakatōhea.
For centuries, Te Whakatōhea fought many battles with their neighbours, including Ngāi Tai
Ngai Tai
Ngāi Tai is a Māori tribal group in the area around Tōrere in the East Coast area of the North Island, New Zealand, and also at Clevedon near Auckland....
in the east, and Ngāti Awa
Ngati Awa
Ngāti Awa is a Māori iwi centred in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand.Ngāti Awa comprises 22 hapu , with 15,258 people claiming affiliation to the iwi in 2006. The Ngāti Awa people are primarily located in towns on the Rangitaiki Plain, including Whakatane, Kawerau, Edgecumbe, Te...
and Ngāi Tūhoe in the west. 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 Te Whakatōhea land was confiscated by the Crown under the New Zealand Settlements Act of 1863.
The twentieth century saw an increasing government recognition that Te 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 Te Whakatōhea lands, and the subsequent economic, cultural and developmental devastation suffered by the iwi. Te Whakatōhea are presently preparing to negotiate a full settlement with the New Zealand government.