Ngāti Whakaue Hapū – Koromātua Hapū
I te tuatahi, he tangata, he tupuna koroua, koia ra ngā “koromātua o Ngāti Whakaue”
I te tuarua, he hapū hoki, koia ra ngā “Koromātua Hapū o Ngāti Whakaue”
First, they were men, ancestral grandfathers, these are the “Koromātua o Ngāti Whakaue” (Forefathers of Ngati Whakaue)
Secondly, they are also subtribes, these are the “Koromātua Hapū o Ngāti Whakaue” (The Forefather subtribes of Ngati Whakaue)
Within the vibrant fabric of Ngāti Whakaue lie six principle hapū, each bearing the sacred legacy of our koromātua—whose ancestral lines flow from Tūtānekai.
The koromātua hapū are depicted below; Hurungaterangi, Te Rorooterangi, Tūnohopū, Pūkakī, Te Rangiiwaho, and Tāeotū. By recognising these hapū as part of a greater iwi collective, Ngāti Whakaue is reclaiming its rightful place as a proud and independent iwi with a rich cultural heritage and kōrero tuku iho.
“Ko tēnei tangata, māna i karangatia ai ko Rotorua to moana, ko Whakaue te tangata. Kaore he ingoa ke atu i tenei moana ko Ngāti Whakaue anake”.
Hamuera Pango, 18 June 1881
In the past, hapū were nomadic rather than staying in one place. Over time, they became extinct, merged or subjugated by others, evolve and/or fracture into further hapū. Our tūpuna, giving evidence in the 1800s indicate that there were 40 or more major or minor hapū of Ngāti Whakaue at that time.
Nowadays, Ngāti Whakaue comprises not only our six koromātua hapū but also a multitude of hapū as listed, each a thread that weaves the vibrant fabric of our shared whakapapa:
| Ngāti Tiki | Ngāti Manawa | Ngāti Ngapuia |
| Ngāti Te Tiwha | Ngāti Kaui | Ngāti Korouateka |
| Ngāti Te Kahu | Ngāti Te Uawhaki | Ngāti Waoku |
| Ngāti Te Ngaiki | Ngāti Taurua | Ngāti Rautao |
| Ngāti Tamahika | Ngāti Te Hika | Ngāti Tuteaiti |
| Ngāti Ngahewa | Ngāti Te Rangitakahu | Ngāti Taioperua |
| Ngāti Hinerangi | Ngāti Te O | Ngāti Ngararanui |
| Ngāti Wharengaro | Ngāti Karenga | Ngāti Te Heke |
| Ngāti Te Ranui | Ngāti Te Ririu |
We have the six principle Koromatua hapū. How and why the koromātua rose in prominence over the other hapū is a story in itself (Ben Manley 2020).
