Ngāti Awa

Prior to European settlement, the Whakatāne district encompassed an area which was traditionally occupied by Ngāti Awa and its hapū. At the westernmost boundary of this district lies Ōhiwa Harbour.

 

Ngāti Hokopū is the hapū most closely associated with the harbour today. Tauwhare pā on the north-western shores of Ōhiwa is one of Ngāti Hokopū’s pā sites. It is well-known for the Ngāti Awa ancestress Mereaira Rangihoea who, in 1847, in an act of female peace making power, stopped the fighting between war parties over Ōhiwa. Read the full story here.