family disputes, the unity of the Marutuahu tribes has always been more important than our diversity.

12.      As with the Maori way, the conquest of Hauraki by Marutuahu was achieved by war as well as intermarriage with the original peoples of Hauraki. As a consequence, all of the tribes in Hauraki can whakapapa to Marutuahu. In them, you will see that although there has been war and disagreement among the iwi of Hauraki we are all closely related and our lines intersect the whakapapa of Te Kupenga Nui o Hauraki or the Great Net of Hauraki. This great net spreads from Moehau to Te Aroha and from Matakana to Matakana. At the centre of the net is Marutuahu.

WHANAUNGA

13.      Whanaunga was at Kawhia when his father, Marutuahu died and he then returned to Hauraki. Whanaunga was angered to learn that his father’s second wife and aunty, Hineurunga, had married his brother, Tamatera. My whanauga will elaborate on this part of our history as it forms an influential part of the background to why the rohe of Marutuahu extends in the south to Nga Kuri a Wharei and Matakana.

14.      Whanaunga then broke away from the parent tribe and founded Ngati Whanaunga which occupied northern areas of the Coromandel Peninsula and areas directly opposite Whakatiwai.

15.      Several generations later, the descendents of Whanaunga expanded into Manaia and the territories formerly held by Ngati Huarere. Eventually, Ngati Whanaunga spread across the whole peninsula with strongholds as far south as Whangamata. In Captain Cook’s time, Ngati Whanaunga held much of the land on the eastern side of the Peninsula. The Whanaunga hapu of Ngati Karaua occupied land in the Whitianga district and the Mercury Islands.

ROHE OF MARUTUAHU

16.      The Hauraki rohe of the Marutuahu is bounded by Mahurangi north of Auckland and Nga Kuri a Wharei offshore of Katikati near Matakana Island. The area is recorded in the following pepeha:

Mai Nga Kuri a Wharei ki Mahurangi

From The Dogs of Wharei to Mahurangi.