Ngāti Te Wehi is a Māori iwi (tribe) based in Kawhia on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island.
According to the 1874 census, Ngati Te Wehi were registered as an iwi. They are the principal iwi of the Aotea Harbour iwi, with close ties and connections with Ngati Reko, Ngati Mahuta, Ngati Whawhakia], Ngati Patupo, Ngati Te Uru and Ngati Mahanga. Ngāti Te Wehi also have historical connections with Ngāti Hauā, Ngati Whatua, Ngati Koata, Ngati Toa Rangatira, Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Ruanui, Ngati Tahinga, Ngati Paipai, Ngati Paiaka, Ngati Rangitauwwaro, Ngati Whare, Ngati Koura, Ngati Hourua, Te Wehiwhakaruru and Ngati Peehi. The Aotea Moana iwi all consider Mt Karioi and her Husband Kārewa / Gannet Island to be sacred. Ngāti Te Wehi have tribal holdings in Te Taitokerau, Ngati Maniapoto and Aotea.
History Te Wehi is the founding ancestor of the Ngāti Te Wehi iwi. Achieving this by recapturing a sacred dog skin war cloak, or Kahu Kuri (dog-skin korowai were the most prestigious of Māori cloaks), and also a mere pounamu (jade club), items that no other local chief could obtain. But he was able to by the mana (prestige) of his father Pakaue, who was killed for them anyway by Tautini-moko (the son of Tuahu-māhina, the local Kāwhia Chief) who was jealous as he was refused the High Chiefly and sacred items.
Te Wehi's (or Te Wehi Te Kihi) parents are father Pakaue & mother Koata of Ngāti Koata, Pakaue is of Ngāti Tū-irirangi/Ngāti Wairere. There are a few versions to the whakapapa of who were the parents of Pakaue according to Ngāti Te Wehi Kāumatua and Kūia during the Waitangi hearings held at Ngāruawāhia. In 1908-09, both Kauki Tauira of Ngaati Te Wehi and Te Kamanomano of Ngāti Reko state the whakapapa of Pakaue and reference to Tuhorotini a son of Tūirirangi and Koura Tuwhea of Ngāti Wairere to be Pakaue's parents. Te Wehi's mum Koata according to Tainui is of the Ngāti Mahanga, Ngāti Mahuta & Ngāti Mango people.
According to research Te Wehi is said to have been a very swift runner and a fierce warrior, so too his older half brother Kawharu the Giant was 9 ft tall , both living prosperous but then separate lives after a small brotherly scuffle at Kāwhia, in which Kawharu went to live with his father Ngaere and his people the Ngāti Tamainupo at Wai-keria.
Te Wehi Te Kihi was born in Kawhia at a pā site known as Karere-atua and spent his young adolescence in Kāwhia, after their little scuffle older brother Kawharu left Kawhia but eventually came back after helping in battles against Te Arawa with Ngāti Raukawa chief Ngatokowaru.
Te Wehi moved to the Aotea Harbour after Pakaue his father was murdered for items only he could obtain, a Dogskin Korowai cloak named Pīpītewai & a sacred war club named Karioi-mutu was given to Pakaue by an inland chief named Te Rau who lived over the ranges in the Waipa Valley. Te Rau had completed this kahu kuri (dogskin) cloak and it was coveted by many local Chiefs. Pakaue's cousin Tūahu-māhina a son of Tū-irirangi & chief of the Ngāti Ariari tribe, lived at Motu-ngaio pa not far from Karere-atua, His failed attempt to obtain these coveted items & remarks from the Maniapoto chief Te Kanawa “O Tūahu-māhina, your prestige has been lowered by your younger relative Pakaue, because he has been able to obtain that which has been denied to you.” The thought of this made Tūahu-māhina very angry.
Te Kanawa went on to Kawhia to see Pakaue and his warrior sons and started an argument with Kawharu, which incensed Te Kanawa enough to complain to Tūahu-māhina who attacked with the Ngāti Ariari, Pakaue & his family escaping but Pakaue taking a different route was found by Tautini-moko son of Tuahu-māhina and killed elderly Pakaue for the cloak & sacred war patu.
Now Toa-Rangatira(Ngāti Mango) is an uncle to Te Wehi as he married Pakaue's sister Mananaki. Half brother Kawharu married Toa-Rangatira's daughter Waikauri, the tupuna of Te Rauparaha.
Giant Kawharu not satisfied with his one revenge upon Tūahu-māhina's warriors, decided to enlist the help of his father-in-law Toa-Rangatira, whose first joint battle with Kawharu beat Te Kanawa after he attacked them, but Toa-Rangatira let Te Kanawa go, to spread their fame as great warriors, the pair with their tribes then won a battle against Tūahu-māhina at Te Maika, the latter running to the safety of his Motu-ngaio Pa but then surrounded was ambushed & killed by Toa-Rangatira as he then tried to escaped Motu-ngaio, the names of the battles fought have been handed down to us. They were Te Moana-waipu, Pohoetangehe, and Te Keukeukeua.
After these battles about 1675, Kawharu & Toa-Rangatira from Marokopa had Kawhia district in their undisputed possession. Older brother Kawharu now satisfied with the revenge he had obtained, desired to make peace with the survivors. Te Wehi would not agree, & Kawharu, not wishing to be further involved, collected his people & moved to the shores of Aotea harbour & occupied Raorao-kauere & Manuaiti Pa, while Te Wehi went to live at Matakowhai and the Ngāti Toa-Rangatira retained Motu Ngaio Pa until the 1820s before migrating south with Te Rauparaha & Ngāti Koata.
News of the death of Tūahu-māhina spread & reached the ears of Tautini-moko, who had fled to Whanganui, and hearing that peace had been made, he returned with the sacred Patu & dogskin Korowai cloak & occupied the pa Te Rau-o-te-huia, not far distant from Raorao-kauere. When Tautini-moko returned, Te Wehi was living at Te Maari Aotea Harbour, & when the news reached him that his father's slayer was across the harbour, he decided to kill him. When he announced his intentions however, he received no support, it being contended that peace had been made; but Te Wehi was not to be cheated of his revenge, & set out to Waikato to obtain assistant from that tribe.
According to ancestor's, Ngāti Te Wehi became an iwi after he had regained his father's Mana and made connections to his granduncles Wharetiipeti and Tapaue of Ngaati Mahuta. Mahuta begat Uerata who married Puakirangi, Koata's Auntie. Uerata & Puakirangi had Rangihoto, Wharetiipeti, Hourua & Tapaue.
After the support from Wharetiipeti & Tapaue to attack Te Rau-o-te-huia pa, Te Wehi, a very fast runner, chased down his father's assailant off the Aotea harbour peninsula killing him and sercuring Karioi Mutu & Pīpī Te Wai. Te Wehi gave the Scared Patu & Korowai to the Ngāti Mahuta Chiefs as they had their hand out for them, he also gave his daughter Reko to marry Tapaue's son Tahau. The then named Tokoreko & her husband Tahau became the Great Grand Parents of Whakaawi, mother of King Tawhiao. Decades later the korowai cloak & Mere were secured in a round-a-bout way by the rightful owners and placed in Ruakuri, one of three famous caves at Waitomo, but when this cave became known to Europeans they were both removed by Te Moerua Natanahira and placed in a vault at Te Kotahitanga, Otorohanga.
Ngati Whatua had heard of Kawharu's bravery and strength in battle, and in 1680, asked him north to Kaipara to help fight Te Kawerau. He led a series of raids — known as Te Raupatu Tihore, "The Stripping Conquest" — across the Tamaki isthmus, before being killed at a pa at Waiherunga in South Kaipara.
Te Wehi had many small pa sites located around Aotea but his most beautiful was at the peak tops of Matakowhai. Upon his death, his people, known as "Ngāti Te Wehi", moved South West of Aotea Harbour, some stayed at Makomako, Te Papatapu and Motakotako.
Te Wehi has been known to have had 3 wives, but his principle wife was Mariu who bore Te Hauwhangairua, Te Paipai, Tokoreko, Paiaka, Te Whakamaui, Hineketu and Te Rangitauwawaro. Each of these Children lived at Mowhiti (Pākoka), Te Papatapu, Te Maari, Makomako, Te Urewera, Waiteika, Kaiariki, Paataka, Patumarama, Ruakotare, Wairoa, Maungaroa and so too did their descendants. Later most of the descendants headed to Waitetuna district as part of the conquested lands claimed by Te Wehi with the overthrow of the giant tyrant Toa-angiangi, these lands that the fastest runner in Aotearoa claimed were from Pukekohe to Otorohanga and the West Coast, so these Children of Te Wehi and Mariu are of importance as they are founders of many iwi and hapu today.
This brings us to Rangitaupopoki the son of Waenganui II who is the son of Paiaka & Rangihora, Rangihora being the daughter of the giant Ngaati Koura warloard Hotumauea & Paiaka being the son of the great Te Wehi & his princess wife Mariu, daughter of Hape & Te Angaangawaero who is the daughter of the great chief Wahiao of Te Arawa descendant of Tuhourangi-Ngāti Wahiao, Tuhourangi was 9 ft tall.
Rangitaupopoki married two Ngāti Maniapoto descendants named Parehikitanga & Waimahanga who were sisters. Parehikitanga & husband had three children, Te Urumahue a daughter, Tūtemahurangi & Te Moke. Tūtemahurangi begat three known sons, and he married Metiria Waikato a Daughter to Te Riria Whareherehere, one of his sons was Pita Waikato later known as Pita Mahu Waikato of Ngāti Te Wehi. Pita Mahu married Tirimata Karuwhero a Chieftess who occupied Maukutea before her marriage to him. Tirimata was given the Chieftess title after the death of her father Mohi Karuwhero a great grandchild of Tahuariki and Tokoreko. One of Pita and Tirimata sons was Te Mahara Pita Mahu who was very active in claimant for Ngati Te Wehi. The other known sons of Tūtemahurangi were Matiu and Te Aotūroa a.k.a. Hōne Waitere, sons born to Marutehiakina II. Matiu was taken as hostage in 1822, in which after Nga Puhi took him back to Whangarei and he was raised my a Chief there as his own son.
Te Wehi's great grandson Rangitaupopoki of Ngati Paiaka/Ngapuhi and his Ngāti Maniapoto princess had 2 warrior sons, Te Moke and a Tutemahurangi, whose sons Pita Mahu Waikato and Te Aotūroa Hōne Waitere who were in their 20s at the time, would have helped their dad and uncle Te Moke with the battles against Te Rauparaha as he killed Te Uira and a battle to fight for a Ngāti Te Wehi chief Te Aomārama at Makomako, Aotea harbour. Soon after with the Ngāti Mahanga & Ngāti Maniapoto Te Moke rounded up 5000 with Pōtatau Te Wherowhero of Ngāti Mahuta plus the Ngāti Hourua and together the Ngāti Koata(Aotea) and Ngāti Toa of Kawhia harbour were cleared out and everlasting peace ensued and all the tangata whenua(people of the land) worked their lands and sold their produce to Auckland pakeha until 1863 when the government wanted the fertile Waikato Basin for themselves so the battles against the British army started.
After the 1821 warfare Ngāti Mahanga/Ngāti Te Wehi chief Te Aoturoa Hone Waitere and his Ngāti Mahanga/Koura princess Pirihiri moved to Te Waihi on the Aotea peninsular when in 1822 his younger brother was taken by Nga Puhi. Hōne Waitere is then remembered living at Te Pahi where their children were born in the late 1830s and 1842, they all lived in peace at their dads residences and his burial place Te Pahi, Aotea Harbour.
Te Aotūroa took the name Te Aotūroa Hōne Waitere when the Wesleyan Mission was set up in area mid 1830s by John Whiteley. John convinced Te Aoturoa in 1840 to sign the Treaty of Waitangi but could not convince Te Wherowhero. Te Aotūroa Hōne Waitere sold land at Te Kopua in the Waipa for the Wesleyan's to teach their people to read and grow new food from countries afar. Shortly after signing the Treaty of Waitangi he got his uncle Te Moke to sell land at Raoraokaurere to the Wesleyan's so they had their own mission station and using old planting grounds at Raoraokauere were growing wheat and barley so Ngāti Te Wehi had the first water powered water mills in the area.
Te Aotūroa Hōne Waitere was a Ngāti Te Wehi/Ngāti Mahanga chief who signed the Manukau-Kawhia copy of the Treaty of Waitangi 15 June 1840.