ō Mātou Hītori
our history
Ko Tainui Te Waka
Ko Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga te Iwi
Ngāti Raukawa is an Iwi whose origins derive from Tainui, Waikato region and who descend from Hoturoa, the commander of the Tainui waka.
Prior to 1819, Ngāti Raukawa lived at Maungatautari and Ngāti Toa lived at Kāwhia. Around that time, Ngāti Toa left Kāwhiia and began a long migration to the south via Taranaki, Whanganui and Rangitīkei. This journey had two names, ‘Te Heke Tahutahuahi’, recalling a time when many fires were lit to give their enemies the impression that they were numerous.
After episodes in Taranaki, the migration became known as ‘Te Heke Tātaramoa’, a name which commemorates the difficulty of the journey.
During their time in Taranaki, Te Rauparaha travelled to Taupō, Rotorua, Tauranga and Ngāti Maniapoto in search of allies. Having been unsuccessful, he returned to Taranaki and Ngāti Toa continued their migration to Manawatū, Horowhenua and Wellington districts. They engaged the local people in numerous battles and after securing areas of land, Ngāti Toa eventually settled along the Kāpiti Coast.
Sometime after the migration, word arrived at Maungatautari that they had been defeated and had perished. Subsequently, a Ngāti Raukawa travelling party was dispatched and found Ngāti Toa at Ōtaki, fit and well. After some feasting and resting, the Ngāti Raukawa party was preparing to return home when Te Rauparaha invited them to come south. This invitation was politely set aside by Ngāti Raukawa, until Waitohi of Ngāti Raukawa/ Ngāti Huia descent, the sister of Te Rauparaha and mother of Te Rangihaeata rose and challenged them to lead their relations to the land that had been cleared.
“Ngāti Raukawa, e hoki ki Maungatautari. Ma wai ō koutou e mau mai āku werewere, hei noho mai ki runga i te whenua kua oti nei i ahau te ūkui”.
“Ngāti Raukawa, return to maungatautari, Who of you will bring my relations here to settle upon these lands that have been procured?”
Her kōrero was in reference to our relations; Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Wehiwehi, Ngāti Werawera, Ngāti Parewahawaha and Ngāti Huia.
In response, Te Ahukaramū replied,”Māku mā te tuarā nui o Pakake’ – that he would be the strong back of his grandfather, Pakake.
Waitohi’s invitation carried great weight. Te Manahi of Ngāti Huia, one of those who had migrated to the Kāpiti coast, was emphatic on this point: ‘We came at the desire of Waitohi. Had Te Rauparaha called, the people would not have assented. It was at the word of Waitohi.’ Te Manahi also testified that Waitohi was responsible for allocating land to the hapū who came south during these years. It is also said that she proposed that the Kukutauaki Stream, between Waikanae and Ōtaki, should be the boundary between Te Āti Awa to the south and Ngāti Raukawa to the north.
Ngāti Raukawa returned to Maungatautari and Te Ahukaramū presented the proposal to migrate to the south. When the people did not listen to him, he became incensed and ordered that their houses be burnt down. This induced them to leave and the first of many Ngāti Raukawa migrations took place, the three most important being – Te Heke Whirinui, Te Heke Kariritahi and Te Heke Mai-i-Raro. Te Ahukaramū led the first migration, Nēpia Taratoa the second and Te Whatanui the third, each assisted by many others.
Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Raukawa migrations were long and arduous, and were made more painful by the abandonment of ancestral land. They took only what they could carry, and arrived south in reduced circumstances. Old people and very young had to be cared for and much of the journey passed through hostile country. The hardships and anxiety of these times are recorded in many waiata. Some of these can be found in ‘Kāti au i konei: He kohikohinga i ngā Waiata a Ngāti Toarangatira, a Ngāti Raukawa’ – written by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal – 1994
"Ngāti Raukawa, return to maungatautari, Who of you will bring my relations here to settle upon these lands that have been procured?"