NgĀti Tamakōpiri

E Tu Whakaperei! – Stand Tall and be Proud

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Pepeha

Ko Hautapu te awa,
Ko Opaea me Kaiewe ngā marae
Ko Ngāti Tamakōpiri te iwi
Te rohe pōtae o Mōkai Pātea

Hapū

Ngāti Hinetai
Ngāti Tamakaiaorangi
Ngāti Tamapinea, Rangitoea,
Ngāti Tamawhiti
Ngāti Tama Tūturu
Ngāti Te Taenui
Ngāti Tūtakaroa
Ngāti Tamakaitangi Hikakainga

About Ngāti Tamakōpiri

Ngāti Tamakōpiri descend from the eponymous ancestor Tamakōpiri the son of Tamatea Pōkai whenua by his wife Taanewhare.

Tamakōpiri accompanied his father on his famous journey into Mōkai Pātea leaving a number of mōkai in the rohe and meeting the Ngāti Hotu who were settled there. Tamatea and Tamakōpiri parted company at the Waitangi Stream north of present day Waiouru with Tamakōpiri returning to Heretaunga and Tamatea carrying on to Whanganui and beyond.

Later Tamakōpiri and others returned to settle the Mōkai Pātea by attacking the Ngāti Hotu and pushing them to the west in what is referred to as the first wave of conquest over the Ngāti Hotu.

One celebrated descendant of Tamakōpiri was Tumakaurangi who was a contemporary of Whitikaupeka and led some of the battles against the Ngāti Hotu in this rohe in what is known as the second wave of conquest.

Tumakaurangi is now commemorated as the name of the Whare Tupuna at Opaea.  This whare sits astride the boundary between two major lands of the rohe of Ngāti Tamakōpiri – the Awarua and Motukawa lands which make up the northwestern part of Mōkai Pātea.

For more information about Ngāti Tamakōpiri follow the button link below to the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims website.

Our Gallery

Check out the images of Opaea Marae and Ngāti Tamakōpiri to see their stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. These visuals capture their deep connection to the land and their unique traditions. Explore these images to appreciate the beauty and significance of their cultural stories and values.

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