About Us

Ngati Whare is an iwi (tribe) of the central North Island, whose customary rohe (territory) runs through the south-west Urewera and parts of the Kaingaroa region, including the area known as Te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi.

Ngati Whare takes its name from the eponymous ancestor Wharepakau. Together with his nephew Tangiharuru (the progenitor of Ngati Manawa) and their followers, Wharepakau conquered Te Marangaranga, the original inhabitants of the western Urewera / Kaingaroa area, some time in the early 1600s. Ngati Whare and their close neighbours Ngati Manawa have remained resident on these lands ever since.

Today Ngati Whare numbers between 5,000 and 7,000 persons. Ngati Whare is represented by Te Runanga o Ngati Whare Iwi Trust, whose website this is.

The two remaining marae of Ngati Whare are Waikotikoti and Murumurunga, located at the settlement of Te Whaiti. Ngati Whare also owns the village of Minginui, nestled within the confines of the Whirinaki Conservation Park.

Ngati Whare is presently in Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations with the Crown, and expects to have reached a full settlement of their grievances in the not too distant future.