rose and the patupaiarehe, who could not stand the sunlight, fled back to the forest. As a result, the hill was stranded in his present location, and was given the name Mauao, indicating that he had been caught or fixed in place by the dawn. The various Maori groups that have moved into the Tauranga area have all formed strong associations with Mauao. There are many sites of significance to Tauranga Maori located on and around this hill: it has been a pa site, a battle site, and a place where important tupuna were buried.²

A strong identification with Tauranga Moana and with Mauao unites all the Maori groups of the Tauranga area, and distinguishes them from their neighbours. Many of the tangata whenua who gave evidence before the Tribunal identified themselves with pepeha, or traditional sayings, which included the words: ‘Ko Mauao te maunga, ko Tauranga te moana.’ We acknowledge that Tauranga hapu also identify with other maunga and features of the landscape which are specific to those hapu and their lands. Nevertheless, we understand that all the hapu of Ngai Te Rangi, Ngati Pukenga, Ngati Ranginui, and Waitaha have associations with Tauranga Moana and with Mauao.

It is not necessary for this report to provide a detailed pre-1840 history of Tauranga Moana, or to summarise the extensive and valuable body of evidence on the settlement of the region which has been heard by the Tribunal. We rely here on the account of traditional history given in the closing submissions made jointly on behalf of a number of hapu of Ngati Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi, and Ngati Pukenga.³ This account is generally consistent with the more specific evidence given by experts in tribal history from particular hapu.

The earliest known inhabitants of the Tauranga district were the Nga Marama people, who were conquered and absorbed by later incoming groups. The result of this was that all present-day tangata whenua can trace their descent back to these original people. Maori tradition then tells of the arrival in Tauranga Moana of a series of great voyaging waka from Hawaiki. The first waka to visit was Tainui, whose inhabitants did not settle there but made their final landfall at Kawhia. However, Tainui people were later to settle in neighbouring districts and were to play an important role in Tauranga history. These neighbouring Tainui people were tribes of the Marutuahu confederation in Hauraki to the north, and Ngati Haua and Ngati Raukawa west of the Kaimai Range.

The next waka to make landfall was Te Arawa, whose people settled mainly to the south of Tauranga, apart from Waitaha, who occupied part of the Tauranga district. They shared the district with people of Takitimu, the third waka to arrive. Takitimu landed at Mauao, where the leader of the expedition, Tamateamaitawhiti, placed his people’s mauri (an object representing the life principle) on the hill’s summit. Ngati Ranginui trace their descent to the people of the Takitimu waka. Together, Waitaha and Ngati Ranginui conquered the Nga Marama people and divided the land between them: Ngati Ranginui took the land west of the Waimapu River, and Waitaha the land to the east.

2. Document a49, pp 6–22

3. Document a11, pp 28–33; doc a18, pp 15–21