Who Are We?
From Hawaiki to Whakatāne
Ngāti Awa are the descendants of Te Tini o Toi, the original inhabitants of the region, and the people of Mataatua waka, which made landfall at Whakatāne after voyaging from Hawaiki around 1300 CE.
Most affiliate to hapū who settled areas around the Whakatāne, Rangitāiki, and Tarawera Rivers.
Ngāti Awa’s territory is bordered by other iwi. Te Arawa are to their west, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāi Tūhoe to the south, and to the east, including Ōpōtiki, are Te Whakatōhea.
The Origins of Ngāti Awa
Source: The Ngāti Awa Raupatu Report - WAI46
A common but incorrect view is that Maori had the right to conquer and take lands from Moriori, as it’s believed Maori did the same when they arrived around 1350. This idea is a myth created by early ethnologists and isn’t supported by Maori traditions or genealogies. Academics have long debunked it. Instead, evidence shows a series of migrations over a long time, with crews intermarrying with the people already here. Oral traditions and genealogies from various regions consistently trace ancestry from both early inhabitants and later migrants.
The Myth of Maori Conquest
Ngāti Awa, meaning "descendants of Awa," showcase the interconnected history of early Maori settlements. Awanui-a-rangi, the ancestor they are named after, lived in Aotearoa before the last wave of migration. He was the son of Toi-kai-rakau, who descended from an early inhabitant, Tiwakawaka. When the last canoe, Mataatua, arrived in the Bay of Plenty, the local people were known as Te Tini-a-Toi, divided into at least 18 groups or hapu, including Ngāti Awa.
The Story of Ngati Awa
The descendants of Toi and a later arrival, Whatonga, spread throughout the country, including the South Island, while the original group remained in their ancestral district. Ngāti Awa spread to various areas, sometimes keeping their ancestral name, Awa, or merging into existing hapu. Local traditions indicate that Te Atiawa of Taranaki, Wellington, and the northern South Island are part of the same group, with Te Atiawa being a variation of the name.
Spread of Early Inhabitants
The Mātaatua canoe is especially important today. Its crew intermarried with Te Tini-a-Toi and Ngati Awa, forming many hapu such as Ngāti Awa, Tuhoe, and Whakatohea. The canoe also travelled to Northland, where some crew members settled, including Puhi, for whom Nga Puhi are named, connecting them to the Mātaatua hapu of the Bay of Plenty. Toroa, the brother of Puhi, was the canoe's captain and settled at Whakatane.
The Mātaatua Canoe
The Mataatua canoe was likely preceded by another canoe, as Toroa's father, Irakewa, was already present when Toroa landed. Hapu names from before the Mataatua canoe’s arrival still exist today in the Rangitaiki district, such as Te Tini-a-Awa at Whakatane and Nga Maihi of Te Teko.
Pre-Mātaatua Connections
Register With Ngāti Awa
He māmā noa iho ki te rehita. It is easy to register online.
Ngāti Awa House
4-10 Louvain Street,
PO Box 76
Whakatāne 3158
0800 464 284
07 307 0760
runanga@ngatiawa.iwi.nz