Raukawa
Whakapapa mai ai a Ngāti Raukawa i tō rātou tupuna i a Raukawa, nō te waka o Tainui. He hononga anō ōna ki Te Tai Rāwhiti, arā ki a Ngāti Kahungunu i te mea i ahu mai tōna whāea a Māhinaarangi i reira. I whānau mai a Raukawa i ngā whakatupuranga e 20–25 ki muri, ki te puna wai o Ōkoroire, ka whakatupuria a ia ki te kāinga o tōna matua i Rangiātea, tata ki Ōtorohanga. Kāore i te mau ngā kōrero mō ngā nekeneke a Raukawa i tōna wā. Hāunga, tokomaha ngā tūpuna o Ngāti Raukawa he pānga nui ō rātou ki ngā nekenekehanga nui i te hītori o te rohe o Waikato me ngā takiwā kei te taha tonga o Te Ika-a-Māui. Ko ētahi o ngā tūpuna rongonui nei ko ngā tama a Takihiku, tae rawa ki a Kapumanawawhiti rāua ko Huia. Ko ētahi o ōna tūpuna rongonui i te rau tau 1800 ko Te Whatanui, ko Te Ahukaramū, ko te tupua nei a Te Rauparaha.
Mai anō i te whānautanga mai o Raukawa, kikī ana te hītori o Ngāti Raukawa i ngā piki me ngā heke o tēnei mea te iwi.
Ngā tamariki a Raukawa
Tēnā anō rā kei ngā tamariki toa nā Rakamamao
Kei te rangi e haere ana nā Mōtai-tangata-rau.
Hāngai pū ana ngā hītori tōmua o Ngāti Raukawa ki ngā tamariki a Raukawa – a Rereahu, a Takihiku, a Whakatere, a Kurawari – e kōrerohia tonuhia i ēnei rā. I tua atu i a Kurawari, tapaina ai ētahi hapū ki ngā ingoa o ēnei tūpuna. Tērā ko te tupuna rongonui rawa o te whakatupuranga o muri mai i ēnei, ko te tama a Rereahu, ko Maniapoto, nāna ko Ngāti Maniapoto. Ahakoa te mea i reira anō tōna tuakana a Te Ihinga-a-rangi, i whakahekea te mana a tō rāua matua ki a Maniapoto.
He tuahine tā Maniapoto ko Te Rongorito tōna ingoa; he tupuna nui ia o ngā uri whakaheke o Ngāti Raukawa. He puhi a Te Rongorito, he wahine tapu i akona ki ngā āhuatanga o te rangatira; ka puta i a ia tētahi wāhanga kaha o Ngāti Raukawa. Ko tana mokopuna ko Kapumanawawhiti, he tino toa, he rākau kawa; nāna ka hau ki tawhiti te rongo mō Ngāti Raukawa. Nō muri i te mutunga o ētahi pakanga i toa nei ia i te raki o Taranaki, ka puta tēnei kōrero mōna i tōna whanaunga i a Parekarau:
He uri tamawahine, māna e takahi te one i Hākerekere.
Whakahuatia tonuhia tēnei pepeha e Ngāti Raukawa hei whakanui i te mana o Te Rongorito.
Whai muri i a Kapumanawawhiti ko tana irāmutu ko Ngātokowaru, tētahi atu tupuna toa rongonui o Ngāti Raukawa. Ka taka ki tētahi pakanga, ka mauherea a Ngātokowaru, ka kawea ki mua i te aroaro o te rangatira o Ngāti Mahuta, ki a Te Putu e whakahemohemo ana. I te whakatatanga atu a Ngātokowaru ki te rangatira o tōna hoariri e whakahemohemo ana, ka tangohia e ia tana tete huna, ka whakamatea e ia a Te Putu, me tana kōrero: ‘Ko te tete o Ngātokowaru, tēnā ka rangona!’
