Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua

Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua is a Māori iwi (tribe) from Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Franklin, and the northern Waikato region. They are part of Te Waiohua, the original inhabitants of Auckland, having lived in the area for over 1,000 years.

Traditionally known as Te Ruakaiwhare, after their tribal guardian Kaiwhare, who protects the waters of the Manukau Harbour, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua occupy lands around Waiuku, Glenbrook, Akaaka, Ōtaua, Te Puni, Whakaūpoko, Mauku, Patumāhoe, Pukekohe, Pukekura (Bombay), Paerātā, Waiau Pā, Clark's Beach, Karaka, Puhitahi (Kingseat), the Āwhitu Peninsula, Huia, and the Waitākere Ranges, with traditional interests spanning the wider Auckland region.

The iwi takes its name from the renowned Waiohua chieftainess Te Ata-i-Rehia, granddaughter of the founding Te Waiohua chief Huakaiwaka and daughter of Huatau. Born on Matukutūreia (McLaughlin's Mountain), her placenta (whenua) was buried at its peak. Te Ata-i-Rehia married Tapaue, a Waikato chief, who was killed after securing control of a stretch of the Waikato River from Taupiri to Port Waikato. His death was avenged by his son Pāpaka, who, with the support of Te Wehi from Aotea Harbour, secured Waiuku for Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua.

Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua consists of 20 hapū and descends from the union of Huakaiwaka and Te Rauwhakiwhaki, founding ancestors of Te Waiohua. Huatau, their daughter, controlled lands around Ngā Matukurua, Matukutūreia, and Matukutūruru (Wiri Mountain) during the 18th century. Many significant sites in Tāmaki Makaurau bear her name, including St Mary’s Bay and Shelley Beach, historically known as Te Onemaru o Huatau (“the sheltered beach of Huatau”).

Huatau joined Kawahi of Ngā Iwi, and their daughter Te Ata-i-Rehia was born near the peak of Matukutūreia. Her brother, Huarangi, later commanded the pā, and his sons Tamapāhure and Tamapāhore, along with his daughter Hineawhea, continued the lineage, maintaining leadership and guardianship over the pā and surrounding lands. Important sites connected to Huatau include Te Akinga o Huatau (“the washing up of Huatau”) on the south-western side of Te Motu a Hiaroa Island, and Te Puna Kapia o Huatau (“the prized gum trees of Huatau”) at Hikurangi Pā in the Waitākere Ranges. These sites reflect the enduring connection of Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua to the land and their ancestral heritage.

In April 1840, eleven chiefs of Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, including Te Wairākau, Aperahama Ngākāinga, Te Awarahi Te Katipa, and Te Tāwha, signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) at the Manukau Harbour, affirming the iwi’s ongoing relationship with the Crown.

The principal marae of Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua is Tāhuna Kaitoto Pā, situated near the Te Pae o Kaiwaka Waiuku Estuary, the oldest living marae in Auckland. The iwi maintains strong cultural, social, and environmental connections to its lands, waters, and waterways, safeguarding its heritage while contributing to the wider Tāmaki Makaurau region.

• List of Māori iwi