I te hīnga ake a Māui i tana ika i te kōpū o Hinemoana, ko te wāhanga tuatahi i puea ake, ko te tihi o Hikurangi, te maunga tapu o Ngāti Porou. Nō muri i a Māui ka puta ko ngā tīpuna pēnei i a Toi, i a Paikea – i kau mai i Hawaiki mā runga tohorā, i a Te Kani-a-Takirau – te ariki i whaka-kahore i te tono kia tū hei kīngi mō ngā iwi Māori, ā, i muri mai, ko te tipua nei, a Tā Āpirana Ngata. Ko Hikurangi maunga te tohu whakaaturanga mō te tū mana motuhake o Ngāti Porou me tōna kotahitanga.
Ko te ingoa o Ngāti Porou i ahu mai i te ingoa o te tipuna, o Porourangi. E ai ki te pukenga kōrero o Ngāti Porou, ki a Tā Āpirana Ngata, ko Porourangi rāua ko tōna teina a Tahupōtiki, i heke iho i ngā kāwai o Toikairākau, o Uenuku, o Kahutiaterangi, o Paikea me Ruatapu.
I whānau a Porourangi i te ata tuhi. Nō reira tōna ingoa whānui i noho ai ko Porou-ariki Mata-tara-a-whare, Te tuhimāreikura o Rauru. Ko Tahupōtiki, i whānau mai i te mura o te ahiahi: nō reira te whakaroanga o tōna ingoa, ko Tahupōtiki-Te Tuhimāreikura-o-Oho, a Tama-wahine.
E rua ngā take nui i noho ai ko te ingoa o Porourangi hei ingoa mō te iwi. Tuatahi, ko ōna tātai whakapapa nō roto mai i ngā tīpuna o Hawaiki, pērā i a Toi mā. Tuarua, i heke iho i āna uri te toa mau rākau. I tua atu, nā ngā whakamoemoetanga ki ngā iwi i raupatutia e rātou ō roto whenua i te rohe o Te Tai Rāwhiti.
Ko ngā korero mō Ngāti Porou, kei roto i ngā pūrākau, ngā pakiwaitara, ngā kōrero o neherā. Ko te whakatau a Ngāti Porou ko tōna mana tuku iho nō te tipua nei, nō Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga. Ko ia te paiheretanga o Ngāti Porou ki te tīmatanga mai o te ao. Ko ia te tangata nāna i hī ake te Ika-a-Māui i te kōpū o te moana. Kei roto i te tangi apakura ‘Haere rā e hika’, e kōrero ana mō te waka o Māui, mō Nukutaimemeha:
Ko te waka i hīia ai te whenua nui nei.
Kei roto i te haka Whakarongo ake te hīrea waha o Māui, e whakanuia ana te whakaputanga o te maunga tapu o Hikurangi i te moana:
Whakaeteete mai ko Hikurangi.
Ko te tipua nei a Paikea tētahi o ngā tīpuna nunui ō te iwi. I heke mai ki Aotearoa mā runga i tana tohorā. Ko te puna o ēnei kōrero nō Hawaiki mai rā anō, ā, he kōrero weriweri. Ka puea te pakanga i runga i ngā tautohenga a te whānau mō te tū rangatira, me ngā tāwai a tētahi ki tētahi. Te mutunga ka patupatua e Ruatapu ōna tuākana, e whitu tekau.
Ko Paimahutonga he wahine rangatira, engari i mau herehere, ā, ka moea e te ruanuku nei, e Uenuku. Ka puta tā rāua tama, ko Ruatapu. I runga anō o te wā, ka tāwaitia a Ruatapu e Uenuku ki te ’tama meamea’. Ko te utunga a Ruatapu i tēnā tāwaitanga i a ia, ka haria e ia ngā tama mātāmua ki te moana, ka patupatua. Ko Paikea i rauora. Ko Te Huripūreiata te ingoa o tēnei parekura nui ki a Ngāti Porou.
Nā ngā atua me ngā tipua o te moana a Paikea i whakatere mai ki uta. I moea e Paikea a Huturangi, te tamāhine ātaahua a Te Whironui. Kua tae kē mai a Te Whironui rāua ko tana wahine, a Āraiara ki Aotearoa mā runga i te waka o Nukutere. E whakanuia ana e Ngāti Porou tō rāua moenga ki ngā kupu o roto i te waiata o ‘Paikea’ – te waiata whakahī a Ngāti Porou:
E ai tō ure ki te tamāhine a Te Whironui.
Ko te waka o Māui, ko Nukutaimemeha, te waka mātāmua o Ngāti Porou. E ai ki ngā kōrero tuku iho kei runga o Hikurangi e takoto huripoki ana, kua kōhatutia. Ko ētahi atu waka nāna i mau mai nga tīpuna o Ngāti Porou, ko Horouta me tōna rangatira a Pāoa, ko Tākitimu me tōna rangatira a Tamatea. Ko Tereanini, te waka o Rongomaituaho i whai mai rā i tōna matua, i a Paikea i Hawaiki. Ko Te Ikaroa-a-Rauru te waka whakaheke o Hamoterangi, te wahine a Porourangi. He ruarua noa iho ngā kōrero mō ētahi atu o ngā waka e whai pānga atu ana a Ngāti Porou: a Mangarara, a Kurahaupō me Āraiteuru. E ai ki a Apirana Ngata, ko te nuinga o ngā kerēme a Ngāti Porou i roto i Te Kōti Whenua Māori i te rau tau 1800, i whakatauria te mana whenua i runga i a Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, kāore i runga i ngā waka.
He mea nui ki a Ngāti Porou ōna whakapapa here ki ōna whanaunga tata pēnei i a Te Whānau-ā-Apanui. E karangatia ai rātou e Ngāti Porou ko ‘ngā tuākana’, nō runga i a Taua, te mātāmua a Hingangaroa rāua ko Iranui, (te tuahine a Kahungunu). He mokopuna rāua na Porourangi. I roto i ngā pakanga a Taua ki tana teina ki a Hauiti, ka tutea a Taua ki tērā rohe noho ai.
Ko Ngāi Tahu e noho mai rā ki Te Wai Pounamu, e karangatia ana, ko ‘nga tāina’. Ko Ngāti Porou i heke mai i a Porourangi, te tuakana, ko Ngai Tahu i a Tahupōtiki, te taina. Nō te moenga o Hamoterangi ki a rāua i pūmau ake ai te hononga o ngā iwi nei.
Ki te taha tonga o te rohe ko te iwi nui o Ngāti Kahungunu. He uri whakaheke anō a Kahungunu nō Porourangi. Ko tana tamāhine a Tauheikurī he tāhū matua anō ki a Ngāti Porou me Ngāti Kahungunu. Ko āna tama, a Tawhiwhi rāua ko Māhaki, he tīpuna matua nō ngā hapū o Ngāti Porou, me Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa.
Ka hono atu anō a Ngāti Porou, mā roto i a Kahungunu, ki ngā iwi o Tainui–Waikato i roto i te moenga o tana uri rongonui, a Māhinaarangi ki a Turongo. Nā rāua ka puta ko te tipuna rongonui a Raukawa.
Ko te rohe whenua o Ngāti Porou kei te taha rāwhiti rawa o Te Ika-a-Māui, kei roto i ngā rohe whenua o ngā waka o Horouta me Tākitimu. Ko te rohe whenua o te waka o Horouta ka tīmata mai i Te Taumata-ō-Apanui i te raki, ka ahu atu ki te tonga ki Paritū, ka anga atu ki te tuawhenua ki ngā whenua o Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, kātahi ka tahuri atu ki te raki mā te pae maunga o Raukūmara ki Te Taumata o Apanui. Ko Tūranganui-a-Kiwa te haumitanga o Horouta me te waka o Tākitimu.
Ko te rohe whāiti o Ngāti Porou i tēnei wā i whakaritea i te ture whakamana o Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou (1987), ko te rohe mai i Pōtikirua ki te raki ki te Toka-ā-Taiau, arā, ki te pūwaha o Tūranganui.
Ko ngā whenua o Ngāti Porou e mau nei ināianei, 200,000 heketea. He whenua maunga, he whenua pukepuke, he whenua ātaahua tōna takutai moana. Ko ngā wao-nui-a-Tāne, i topea i ngā rā o te tīmatatanga o te ahuwhenua ki Ngāti Porou. Nō muri i te tau 1950 ka whakatipuria ngā uru rākau paina.
Ko tētahi o ngā mea whakahī ki tēnei iwi ko tōna tū wehenga mai i te ao, ko tōna tū ki runga i tōna tino rangatiratanga – mana motuhake.
I ngā tau o te 1800 ka neke ētahi o Ngāti Porou ki Harataunga i Moehau, ki te whenua-tuku a te rangatira, a Paora Te Putu. Koinei anake te heke a Ngāti Porou ki waho ake i tōna rohe noho ai. He takoha tēnei whenua ki a Ngāti Porou, i te mea ka hoki mai rātou i Tāmaki-makau-rau, ka peka atu ki te whakaruru ki Harataunga. Ka tohatohaina e Ngāti Porou ngā painga o te haerenga ki te mahi hokohoko. I tua atu, kua whakawhirinaki mai ki a Ngāti Porou, i runga i te mea e kaha ana hoki ki te mau pū.
Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi.
Koinei te pepeha nui e rongona ana i roto i ngā huihuinga a Ngāti Porou. Kātahi ka kīnakitia ki ngā waiata e pā ana ki ngā tīpuna pērā i a Māui me tana waka, i a Nukutaimemeha, pērā i a Paikea me tōna kōrero nui.
Ko ngā hapū o Ngāti Porou e kaha ana ki te whakahuahua i a rātou ake pepeha, waiata hoki, i roto i ngā huihuinga.
He pukahu ngā kāinga noho kei ngā whenua tuakahiwi, me ngā takutai moana. Kei ia kāinga ōna kōrero, ōna whakataukī, me ōna pepeha. Koinei ngā tohu whakaū i te mana o ia hapū, o ia whānau.
Ko Hikurangi te maunga tino whakaihiihi o te iwi, no te mea e here atu ana ki ngā kōrero o te hīnga mai o Te Ika-a-Māui. I te hīnga ake i tana ika, ko te wāhi tuatahi i puea ake ko Hikurangi tonu. Ka pae tana waka, a Nukutaimemeha ki reira. Ko Hikurangi ano te wāhi whakaahuru o ngā iwi i Te Tai a Ruatapu, i tukua mai hei patu i ngā mōrehu o Te Huripūreiata. Ko te ingoa o Hikurangi kei Rarotonga, kei Tahiti ano.
E whakanuia ana anō te maunga o Hikurangi ki roto i te haka a Ngāti Porou, a Rūaumoko. He mauri tau te ia o te haka i runga i te ngarue o te whenua me te tinana:
He atua! He tangata! He atua! He tangata! Ho!
Ko te awa o Waiapu te awa rongonui o te iwi. Pērā i a Hikurangi, ko te ingoa o Waiapu kei Tahiti. I ngā wā ka tū he pakanga ka huihui ngā iwi, ka whakaruru ki te riu o Waiapu, ā, e mau nei i te whakataukī :
Hoake tāua ki Waiapu ki tātara e maru ana.
I horapa ai te mana o ngā uri o Porourangi ki te rohe, nā ngā pakanga.
Koinei ētahi iwi i heke iho i a Toi, e kīia ai e Ngata ‘Ko ngā uri o Toi’:
I roto i te pakanga e karangatia nei ko te Heke a Ngāi Tuere, nā ngā uri o Tuere, te mokopuna a Porourangi, i ngaki te mate o te whenua o Ruawaipū. I murua ōna whenua e te iwi o Ngā Oho, he iwi rāwaho nō Te Moana-a-Toi. I te patunga a Ngā Oho i te rangatira o Ruawaipū, i a Tamatea-arahia, ka rere tana tamāhine, a Tamatea-ūpoko me ētahi atu o rātou ki Whāngārā. I moe a Tamatea-ūpoko ki a Uekaiahu, he uri nō Porourangi. I whakamau ā rāua tama, a Raramatai, a Tahania, a Uetaha, me Tamakoro ki te ngaki i te mate o tō rātou tipuna, ā, ki te whakahoki mai hoki i te whenua o tō rātou kōkā.
Ka whakatakaina te ope taua hei patu i a Ngā Oho, E ai ki a Ngata, ‘Koinei tētahi o ngā ope tauā i takahi i te rohe whānui, mai i tētahi moka o te rohe ki te tētahi atu moka’. 1 Ko te momo pakanga i whakaritea e Uetaha mō tana ope, ko te manukahaki. Ko tēnei tikanga he poapoa i te hoariri, kia tōia ai tōna ope tauā. Kātahi, ka tukuna te whana whakairi. He rite tēnei momo whakataka pakanga ki ta Pākanui (i te ngakinga o te mate o Poroumātā i Whareponga).
Nā tēnei pakanga, ka moea ngā mōrehu o Ruawaipū e ngā uri o Porourangi, ā, e karangatia nei ko Ngai Tuere.
Ko tētahi o ngā pakanga i hōrapa ai te mana o Porourangi, ko te pakanga i waenganui i ana mokopuna: i a Taua, i a Māhaki me Hauiti. I puta te riri i te apo a ngā tuākana i ngā ika a Hauiti. Ka pakanga, kātahi ka tutea e Hauiti ōna tuākana i waho o te rohe. Ko Taua i tau atu ki te rohe o Te Whānau-a-Apanui, ā, ko tana uri ko Apanui Waipapa. Nāna hoki ko Apanui Ringa-mutu, e mau nei te ingoa o tērā iwi
Ko te tuakana tuarua, a Māhaki, i noho ki te riu o Waiapu, ā, ka moe i a Hinemākaho, (te tuahine o Poroumātā). Ko ngā uri ko Hiakaitāria, ko Tukiumu, me te tuahine, a Rākaitemania. E kī ana a Ngata, koinei ētahi o ngā tīpuna i mana ai ngā whenua o tēnei takiwā i te kōtitanga.
Ko te taina, ko Hauiti, i mau tonu tōna mana ki Uawa. I roto i āna whakaekenga i tau rawa atu ki te rohe o Uepohatu. Nāna anō i tute atu a Ngāti Ira ki waho o te rohe. Nā āna pakanga me ngā whakamoemoe haere a ōna uri, e mau ai tōna karangatanga o Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti.
Ko tētahi kōrero nunui o Ngāti Porou, ko te kōhurutanga i a Poroumātā i Whareponga. Ko ia, he uri nō Porourangi, ā, he rangatira nō Ngāti Ruanuku me ōna hapū. E noho mārie ana i waenga i te iwi. Heoi, nā te maukino a ōna tama tokoono i te iwi, ka hua ake te riri. Haere ai ngā tama, ka pāhuatia ngā kupenga ika. Ko te mutunga i patua a Poroumātā me ngā tama ki te moana. Heoi, ko ngā tamāhine, ko Materoa, ko Tāwhipare, me Te Ataakura i noho rauora. E kī ana a Ngata ‘Ko ēnei wāhine tētahi mātāpuna nui whakaharahara o ngā tātai whakapapa o Porourangi; i hua mai ai ngā tino rangatira, me ngā toa rongonui o Ngāti Porou.’ 2
I ngakia te kōhurutanga o Poroumata e Tuwhakairiora (te tama a Te Ataakura). Ka raupatutia e ia a Ngati Ruanuku mai i te taha raki. Na tōna irāmutu, nā Pākanui (mokopuna a Materoa) i ūkui atu te hoariri o Te Wahineiti me ngā mōrehu o Ngāti Ruanuku, mai i te taha tonga. Nā ēnei toa e roha atu ai te mana o Porourangi ki runga i te iwi whānui. Ko rāua anō tētahi o ngā whāriki whakapapa o ngā uri o Porourangi.
Ko Ngāti Ira he iwi toa i ōna rā. E roha ana tōna mana ā-iwi, mai i Mangatū, ahu atu i ngā maunga o tuawhenua, a, tau atu ki te taha moana ki Tūpāroa.
I raupatutia tēnei iwi i roto i ngā pakanga maha ki ngā uri o Porourangi. E ai ki a Ngata, i whakaekea a Ngāti Ira, mai i ngā taha e toru: ko Tutepuaki te toa mai i te tonga, ko Kahukuranui ( te tama a Hauiti) mai i te hau marangai, ā, ko ngā mokopuna a Tamaihu (Te Atau, Kūkū, Korohau, Rongotangatakē) mai i te taha raki.
Nō ngā tau o1820 te heke nui a Ngāpuhi ki te motu whānui me ana pū, na te Pākehā. E mōhiotia ana te tārukenga a Ngāpuhi i a Ngāti Porou i Te Whetūmatarau me Kōkai. Na ngā mauherehere o konei i whakahoki mai te Rongopai, i te tau 1834. I haria mai e (Piripi) Taumata-a-kura ki Rangitukia, te punawai o tē Hāhi Karaitiana. I muri mai ka hui te 4000 ki Whakawhitirā ki te whakarongo ki tēnei mea hōu. Ki ētahi e kī ana mō te Whakapono: “ Nā tēnei taonga i tango te kiko tangata i ō mātou niho” i mutu ai te kaitangata. Ka tau hoki te rangimārie. Ko ngā mamae o aua pakanga, kua whakangāwaritia. I whakararatatia te kiri nguha i ngā whakamoemoetanga o tēra wā, ā, tatū noa mai ki nāianei.
I muri mai, he wa tēnei e takoto mōai ai te whenua. He wā e whakamātauria ana ngā āhuatanga hōu. Nā konei ka whakamātau te hinengaro ki ngā tauwhāinga o te ao hōu. Ko te mutunga ka hainatia te Tiriti o Waitangi i te tau 1840 e ētahi o ngā rangatira o Ngāti Porou. I ngā tau o te 1850, e kaha ana ngā hapu o Ngāti Porou ki te whakahaere i ngā mahi hokohoko i runga i ō rātou waka ki Tāmaki-makau-rau, atu ki Poihākena o Ahitereiria.
I roto i ngā tau o 1865 ki ngā tau o 1870, ka tū te riri tara-a-whare, ki roto o Ngāti Porou. Arā, ka pakanga a Ngāti Porou ki a Ngāti Porou. Ka weherua te iwi.
Ko ētahi i whai ki te taha Hauhau, nā rātou rā i patu a Te Wākena i te tau 1865. E whakauru mai ana te Hauhau ki te kawe haere i tōna momo rongopai, te Pai Mārire. Ko ētahi o ngā hapū i tautoko, nō roto o Waiapu, o Tokomaru, o Ūawa, me Tūranga. Ko tōna kauhau, he kī e kore e mate te tangata i te matā pū, me te turaki atu i te Pākehā i te whenua o te Māori. I tua atu, e whaiwhai ana he tautoko mō te Kīngitanga, te kaupapa whakakotahi i te Ao Maori i raro i te Kīngi Māori. Heoi, kua takoto kē te whakautu a Ngāti Porou i te whakakāhoretanga a Te Kani-a-Takirau i te tono ki a ia hei kīngi. Ko tana whakataukī, ko tēnei:
Ko tōku Kīngitanga nō te ihu tō mai i te pō. Ko tōku maunga a Hikurangi ehara i te maunga nekeneke, he maunga tū tonu!
Ko ngā pakanga ki te Hauhau i tū ki te taha raki o Waiapu, ki roto o Tokomaru, o Ūawa, me Waerenga-a-Hika i roto o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa. Mutu rawa atu ēnei pakanga i te whāinga i a Te Kooti i Te Urewera i te 1870.
Nō te tāpaetanga o te kīngitanga ki a Te Kani-a-Takirau, ka whakautu ia ki te kōrero nei – ‘Ko tāku kīngitanga nō te ihu tō mai i te pō. Ko tāku maunga a Hikurangi, ehara i te maunga nekeneke, he maunga tū tonu.’
Mai i taua wā ki nāianei kua tū tēnei whakataukī hei kōrero rangatira (ki ētahi he whakahīhī) ki te iwi. Ko te ingoa o Ngāti Porou mōna anō ko Te Wīwī Nāti. I ahu mai te kōrero nei i a Tā Āpirana Ngata, e whakarite ana i te iwi ki te wīwī – ara, he tipu pipiri.
Ko tētahi taha i tū ki te ārai atu i ngā ope Hauhau. I te tau 1865, ka pakanga te ope o Te Aowera ki ngā Hauhau mau pū, i Mangaone. Ko ngā rangatira o te ope, ko Hēnare Nihoniho rāua ko Rāpata Wahawaha. I mate a Hēnare i reira, ka tau te mana ārahi ki a Rāpata.
I te tīmatanga o ēnei pakanga, ruarua noa iho ngā pū a Ngāti Porou E rima noa ngā pū a te ope whitu tekau o Te Aowera. Heoi, kāore i roa ka whakamaua ngā pū a te Kāwanatanga ki ngā ope o Ngāti Porou. Ko te hiahia o te Kāwanatanga he aukati i te Hauhau. Ko te hiahia o Ngāti Porou, he pupuri i tōna ake mana motuhake.
Ko te whakataukī a Te Kani-a-Takirau kua noho hei taonga whakapehapeha mā Ngāti Porou. Ko te Wīwī Nāti tētahi anō o ngā karangatanga o te iwi. Nā Tā Apirana Ngata i whakaingoa, e whakarite ana i te tū ngātahi a Ngāti Porou, anō nei he pū wīwī.
Ko ngā toa i puta ake i roto i ēnei pakanga ki te Hauhau, i mau ai te mana o Ngāti Porou ki roto ake i tōna rohe, ko Rāpata Wahawaha rātou ko Tuta Nihoniho, ko Mōkena Kōhere, ko Hēnare Pōtae, ko Hōtene Porourangi.
I muri mai o ngā pakanga ka tahuri te Kāwanatanga ki te muru i ngā whenua o Ngāti Porou, i runga i te tū o ētahi o te iwi ki te taha Hauhau.
Nā te toa tūtū tauā o Ngāti Porou nā Rāpata Wahawaha, i ana tuhinga, te kōrero ki a Te Makarini, Te Kaihoko-whenua a Te Kāwanatanga, nā Ngāti Porou ake tāna whawhai, ēhara i te Kāwanatanga. Ka whakautua e Te Makarini ‘Ae. Kaore he wāhi a te Kāwanatanga ki a koutou whawhai, nā koutou anō. Ko ō koutou whenua, nō koutou anake. Kāore he wāhi ki te Kāwanatanga.’
Ko Mōkena Kōhere anō i tū ki te aukati i te hiahia o te Kāwanatanga ki te muru i ngā whenua o Ngāti Porou. Ko tana kupu ko tēnei: ‘Mauria tō moni. Nāku tonu taku riri, ēhara i a koe, i te Pākehā.‘
I taua wa e kaha ana te mau pū a Ngāti Porou. Na konei i tūpato ai te Kāwanatanga ki te muru whenua. Otirā, nā te nui o te pū ki a Ngāti Porou i hua rawa ake ai te whakaaro o ngā kaiārahi o taua wā me haere ki te ngaki i te mate o Ngāti Porou i a Ngāpuhi i te rima tekau tau o mua atu. Nā te pūmau ki te Whakapono i kore ai, e ai ki te kōrero. 1
Mai i ngā tau o te 1870 ki 1900 ka mau te rongo ki te iwi. Ka tipu ngā mahi hokohoko mō ngā mākete o Tāmaki-makau-rau me Poihākena. Nā konei i tipu kaha ai ki te whai i te mātauranga o te Pākehā.
Ka neke mai i ngā tau o te 1890, ka hau te rongo mō te kaiārahi nui o Ngāti Porou, a Āpirana Turupa Ngata. Koia te Māori tuatahi kia whakawhiwhia ki te tohu mātauranga o te whare wānanga o Niu Tīreni. Nāna i whakatakoto he tauira ki tōna iwi ake mō ngā mahi tōrangapū, I tua i tērā ko tana koha nui ki te whakawhanaketanga o te motu, ko tana māia ki te kōkiri i ngā take mō te oranga nui o te iwi Maori.
I te wā e heke ana te maha o te iwi Māori, e noho hinapōuri ana te iwi, ka tū i a Tā Āpirana Ngata ngā momo kaupapa katoa hei hiki i te mauri o te iwi. Ka takoto i a ia te kaupapa ahuwhenua Māori, te whakaoranga i ngā tikanga o neherā, me te whakatairanga i ngā tākaro whakataetae (whutupaoro, hōki, tēnehi) i waenganui i ngā iwi. Kei te tairanga tonu ngā painga o ana mahi i ēnei rā.
Nā Āpirana anō i whakahaere te āwhina a te iwi Māori ki ngā pakanga e rua o te ao, a, e maumaharatia ana e ngā hōia, i ta rātou karangatanga i a ia ‘Te Matua o Te Hokowhitu a Tū’.
Ko te takoha nui a Ngāti Porou ki ēnei pakanga, ko te hunga hōia i haere, mate atu hoki. Kei roto i ngā marae maha o te iwi ngā tohu whakamaharatanga ki a rātou. E tū whakaiti ana anō a Ngāti Porou i te mea i whakawhiwhia tana mokopuna, 2 Tenata, a Moana Ngarimu, ki te Rīpeka Wikitōria.
I te tīmatanga o te rau tau 1900 ki te mutunga o te Pakanga Tuarua (1945), tino kaha te tipu o te iwi o Ngāti Porou. Nō reira, tīmata ai te hekenga nui o te iwi ki ngā taone – nā te huri kē o ngā momo mahi ahuwhenua, nā te iti haere o te whenua, ā, nā te kaupapa hoki a te kāwanatanga ki te whakanekeneke iwi hei kaimahi mō ngā umanga nui i ngā tāone. I tua atu, he whai i te oranga nui me te mātauranga mō ā rātou whānau.
He kaumātua a Koro Dewes nō Ngāti Porou. Ka tae ki tētahi hui ka tū ki te marae o Hinerupe i te tau 1995. Kua mutu ngā whaikōrero. E harirū ana te tangata whenua me te manuhiri. Ka tae mai tētahi tangata ki mua i a Koro ka pātai, ‘Kei te pēhea koe?’ Tere tonu te whakautu a Koro, ‘Eta, you’re in "Kei te aha" country now!’ Koinei tētahi o ngā rerenga kōrero rongonui rawa a Ngāti Porou.
Tatū ki te tau 2006, e 72,000 ngā uri o te iwi o Ngāti Porou. E kīia ana, ko te iwi nui tuarua a Ngāti Porou o ngā iwi katoa o te motu. Neke atu i te 25 paihēneti, kei roto i te rohe ake e noho ana, toro atu ki Tūranganui-a-Kiwa. Ko te nuinga kei ngā tāone o Tāmaki-makau-rau, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, me ētahi atu tāone o Aotearoa.
I roto i te rau tau 2000, kei te kaha a Ngāti Porou ki te torotoro atu ki ōna uri kei waho i te rohe. Kei te kaha anō ki te pupuri i te ahi kā o te wā kāinga me ngā tikanga hoki, kia tū pakari ai, kia tū māia ai, kia mau ai tōna mana mō ake tonu atu.
I whakatūria Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou (1987) hei reo mō te iwi me ōna hapū i roto i ngā tauwhāinga, i ngā tautohetohe ki te Karauna. Ko te taumata tirohanga ko te whakapakari i te oranga nui o te iwi, me ōna tikanga. Ko tōna tino whāinga, kei roto ēnei kupu ahurei:
Ko te whakapūmau i te mana motuhake o Ngāti Porou i roto i tōna mana atua, mana tangata, mana whenua.
In the New Zealand censuses since 1991, residents of Māori descent were asked to indicate the tribe to which they were affiliated. The figures below show the number who indicated Ngāti Porou (including those who indicated more than one tribe), and the regions where they were found in the greatest numbers.
The only previous census asking Māori to indicate tribal affiliation – but not of multiple tribes – was that of 1901.
Halbert, R. W. Horouta: the history of the Horouta canoe, Gisborne and East Coast. Auckland: Reed, 1999.
Mackay, Joseph Angus. Historic Poverty Bay and the East Coast, N.I., N.Z. Gisborne: J. G. Mackay, 1982 (originally published 1949).
Mitchell, J. H. Takitimu. Christchurch: Kiwi, 1997 (originally published 1944).
Ngata, Āpirana T. Ngā mōteatea. 4 vols. Auckland: Polynesian Society, 1988–90 (Vols 1 and 2 originally published 1928–29).
Ngata, A. T. Porourangi School of Maori Culture, rauru-nui-a-toi course: a brief account of Ngati-Kahungunu origins. 1972.
Simmonds, D. R. The great New Zealand myth. Wellington: A. H. & A. W. Reed, 1976.
Walker, Ranginui. He tipua: the life and times of Sir Apirana Ngata. Auckland: Viking, 2001.
E pā ana tēnei pae tukutuku ki ngā pūrongo mō te maunga o Hikurangi, ngā kōrero ā-iwi, mō te rohe, tae noa atu ki Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou.