Traditional History

The origins of the iwi known as Ngati Whare can be traced back to the first ancestors, Io, Ranginui, Papatuanuku and Toi Te Huatahi. Ngati Whare takes its name from their founding ancestor, Wharepakau. Originally from the Kawhia district, Wharepakau and his whanau migrated to the Rangitaiki/Te Whaiti-Nui-a-Toi area with his nephew Tangiharuru, the progenitor of Ngati Manawa, some time in the early 1600s. Together they fought and defeated the Marangaranga people, driving them from the region and settling in their place.

Over time the descendants of Wharepakau grew and prospered. They erected new pa and kainga. Patterns of seasonal resource use and management were established through the wider Whirinaki and Kaingaroa regions. Extensive intermarriage took place between the descendants of Wharepakau and Tangiharuru, and strategic marriages were arranged with other kin groups in the wider area, including persons of Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Awa, Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa descent. Occasionally outside hapu were invited by Ngati Whare to reside at Te Whaiti and through intermarriage and the gifting of land came to be incorporated within them.

At times disputes arose between the peoples of the Urewera region and beyond. Ngati Whare at times fought against their close neighbours; and sometimes they allied with their neighbours against common foes. Sometimes Ngati Whare were victorious in battle, and sometimes they were defeated. In the early nineteenth century, at a time of violent upheaval across much of Aotearoa, many Ngati Whare were forced to leave Te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi for a brief time. But the land was never occupied by their enemies, and Ngati Whare (and Ngati Manawa) returned and continue to reside there to this day.

Over time various hapu and whanau of Ngati Whare have developed, all of whom could claim descent back to Wharepakau and exercise manawhenua through him.

The principal hapu of Ngati Whare include Ngati Tuahiwi, Ngati Kohiwi, Ngati Te Karaha, Ngai Te Au, Ngati Whare ki Nga Potiki, Ngati Mahanga, Ngati Hamua ki Te Whaiti, and Warahoe ki Te Whaiti.

Ngati Whare persons intermarried also with various descendants of Apa, and through certain Ngati Whare hapu incorporated those descendants into themselves. Other hapu with strong affiliations to both Wharepakau and Tangiharuru similarly developed, including Ngati Marakoko, Ngati Kauae, Ngati Hape, Ngati Tawha, and others. Many of these hapu shared territory and resources, living together in close knit communities through the wider Te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi and Kaingaroa regions.