Wāhia Ngā Rua! Open the Foodpits!
This saying comes from the 1700s, when a Ngāti Tamainupō chief called Ngaere fell in love with a Ngāti Maniapoto chieftainess called Heke-i-te-rangi. Against their parents' wishes, they married. Peace between the two tribes was made when a son was born to the couple. At the celebration feast held at Pukeiāhua Pā, Ngaere called out "Wāhia Ngā Rua" and mounds of cooked and uncooked delicacies were served. The town of Ngāruawāhia and Hākarimata Ranges take their names from this narrative.
The traditional pouwhenua (tribal boundaries) of Ngāti Tamainupō include Ngāruawāhia and Pukeiāhua Pā, extending west towards the Whāingaroa Harbour, the surrounding whenua and moana. Below we provide a copy of our Hapū Management Plan and also a link to our digital mapping tool to help grow understanding of our mātauranga.
KAITIAKITANGA
The inherent role and responsibility of Ngāti Tamainupō to protect and nurture the mauri of all living things. Mātauranga and Tikanga informs and guides the role and responsibility of Ngāti Tamainupō kaitiaki. The well-being and mauri of our Taonga reflect the well-being of Ngāti Tamainupō.
RANGATIRATANGA
The authority of Ngāti Tamainupō to exercise our rights and responsibilities to:
• Practice our culture and traditions, and maintain relationship with our taonga
• Control access and use of our mātauranga and taonga
• Exercise our kaitiakitanga to achieve balance and maintain the mauri of life, and taonga within our pouwhenua
Tracing the footsteps of our tupuna...
We've created a digital mapping tool that you can use to find sites of significance with authentic information about each location and how it relates to Ngāti Tamainupō.