Whakatōhea

The history of Whakatōhea spans generations of intermarriage between hapū who lived side by side within the boundaries of Whakatōhea. Pākōwhai and the township of Ōpōtiki are at the centre of Te Whakatōhea territory, where the Waiōweka and Ōtara rivers join.

 

According to Ranginui Walker (1932-2016), the notable Māori academic of Whakatōhea descent, his iwi named Ōhiwa, Ngā Tamāhine a Te Whakatōhea, the daughters of Whakatōhea, due to its plentiful supplies of shellfish, including cockles, pipi, and sea snails. Mussels abounded in Ōhiwa Harbour. In the forests it was easy to catch kererū (wood pigeons) and other native birds.

 

In 1866 Whakatōhea land was confiscated under the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863 and Whakatōhea hapū lost approx. 491,000 acres of land. People were jammed into the Ōpape and Hokianga Island native reserves. This injustice was partially redressed in 1952 when a Government grant was given to Whakatōhea to establish the Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board.