Ancestors
Why the name 'Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana'?
The history of this claim goes back to the Native Land Court hearings in the early 1900s. At these hearings, Tūhoe Ruapani kaumatua said that any claim for Waikaremoana is for Ruapani and his descendants, Pukehore, Tūwai and Hinewaho. This was soon supported by a group led by our koroua, Brian Heminson.
In 2016-17, Hinewaho was replaced with Hinekura because she connects further down the line of Tūwai. And like Pukehore is the poutokomanawa of te poho o Tūhoe Potiki Hinekura is the poutokomanawa of Te Poho o Hinekura.
Around this time our koroua Ivan Turipa gave the name Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana. He said that replacing ‘ki’ with ‘mai’ means it is for Ruapani from Waikaremoana.
Tipuna
Pukehore
A founding tipuna of Waikaremoana, Pukehore is descended from both Ruapani and Tūhoe whakapapa.
In his time, his authority extended over Waikaremoana, Maungapohatu and Ruatahuna.
Read His Story
Pukehore, descendant of Ruapani, met up with Te Uoro of Nga Potiki at Te Puna-o-Houmea on the Huiarau while both were hunting birds. They made a compact of peace between them and to seal it Te Uoro hung his patu on a tree there.
Since then that place has been known as Te Whakairinga-o-te-Patu-a-Te Uoro.
For his part of the peace compact, Pukehore gave the hand of his daughter, Te Amohanga, in marriage to Te Uoro. They had a daughter, Turaki-o-rauru, whose first husband, Tawhakamoe of Te Urewera hapū, went to wars at Rotoiti where he was slain and covered with wiwī.
Pregnant with Tawhakamoe's child, Turaki then married Te Arohana (also of Te Urewera hapū). She soon gave birth to a son, who was named Kahu-wi.
Turaki later gave birth to another son (from Te Arohana), named Te Matau-hi-ika.
From these two sons descend many of the whānau from Waimako, Te Kūhā and Pūtere marae at Waikaremoana.
Tūwai
The tipuna Tūwai was a great warrior, and like Pukehore, became a great influence over Waikaremoana and its hapu of the time.
Tūwai was active in establishing tribal boundaries between Ruapani and Ngāti Kahungunu.
Read His Story
Tūwai was nine generations from Ruapani and four down from Pukehore.
He was a toa rangatira who kept the Ngāti Ruapani boundary laid down by Pukehore and Te Uoro to the North, Ngāti Hika to the East, Whareanga to the Southeast, Hinemanuhiri to the South and Ngāti Pahāuwera and Ngāti Hineuru to the West.
Tūwai was one of the tipuna that our kaumātua insisted on for all claims to Waikaremoana in the Native Land Court beside Pukehore and Hinewaho.
His importance was in his children and mokopuna marrying into the Tūhoe hapū, thus strengthening the taharua bonds for Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana to Tūhoe.
Tūwai's daughter Te Haenga married Whakamoenga-ika, grandson of Parahaki and Mihi-ki-te-kapua.
They had Tuturi, who married Takatakaputea, son of Manunui-taraki - another grandson of Parahaki, and tipuna of Ngāti Manunui. The mother of Takatakaputea was Wairaumoana of Ngāti Ruapani.
The sister of Tuturi, Tira, had Tamoe, who married Taurua-a-Tumatawhero of Ngāti Rongo, another Tūhoe hapū.
Hinekura
Ko te moemoeā a Maui, kia haere ngātahi ai rātou ko ōna tuākana ki te hii ika.
I te hokinga mai o ōna tuākana ki tātahi, ka kii atu a Maui, “Ka taea e au te haramai i tō koutou na taha ki te hii ika?”.
Read Her Story
Hinekura, descendant of Potiki (1) to her father, Te Rurehe, married Koau (1) and had Hinetu Ruahine-tirangi, who married Houa.
Houa's father was Ngarara, a son of Pukehore.
Houa and Hinetu had Nga-tai-ka-eke and Koau (2). Their descendants are the Mei and Erueti families, the Whakamoe, Winitana and Karaihe families, and others.
From Koau (2) we have the Lambert, Takurua, Waiwai, Te Wao, Hatata, Rurehe, Eparaima, Kaaho, Karetu, Wahanui, and many other families.