Ngāti Haeretekura (Te Kura)

Ngāti Haeretekura (Te Kura) Hauiti - Whiti:

Haeretekura was the only son and the eldest of three children of Hauiti and Hineruarangi. 

During his lifetime, conflicts to the north and south, had been experienced by several previous generations of his tūpuna.

Haeretekura was a member of a Mōkai Pātea taua that went to Te Rei on the Moawhango River, to defend the northern part of the rohe, from a war-party of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, who were travelling south to avenge the death of Te Iwikinakia in an earlier skirmish.

The Ngāti Tamakōpiri rangatira Tūmakaurangi, together with Haeretekura of Ngāti Hauiti, were both killed during this battle, with Haeretekura dying at Orongotama, on the Rangipō Waiū Block, near Te Rei.

Our kōrero tuku iho states that a strong response followed the death of these tūpuna. Ngāti Whitikaupeka, under Wharepūrākau gathered, as did a strong Ngāti Tamakōpiri contingent under many chiefs. The death of Haeretekura ensured that there also was a strong Ngāti Hauiti presence in the taua.  In fact, it was noted of Ngāti Hauiti that “all the people … went to fight at Taupo” leaving their pā in the southern half of the Mōkai Pātea rohe “nearly empty.”  Ngāti Whatumamoa was at least represented by Tūpakihi, whose son Tūhomai had previously been taken captive, at the same time Haeretekura and Tūmakaurangi had been killed. The body of Haeretekura was subsequently buried at Pihurangi, on the Ōtairi Block.

Our kōrero also tells us that Haeretekura and his wife Pareataha (a grand-daughter of Tūpakihi) had three children; Tamatereka (Ngāti Tamatereka), Tūpito (Ngāti Hora), and Te Kura (Ngāti Haeretekura or Ngāti Te Kura). While Ngāti Haeretekura is seldom used in recent times, it is the descendants of Te Kura who originally took on the hapū name Ngāti Haeretekura, but in recent generations they have become known simply as, Ngāti Te Kura.

Te Kura had two children, the eldest Tamaiwaho married Hora, the eldest child of Tūpito, and it is their descendants who made up the Ngāti Hora hapu of Ngāti Hauiti.  (I will write more about Ngāti Hora in the next edition of Te Karere).

The second child of Te Kura was named Te Ori-o-te-pō.   She married Te Kōtuku of Ngāti Whitikaupeka and their children included amongst others; Pōkaitara, Takoe and Whiungarangi.  It is the descendants of these tūpuna who have become known as Ngāti Te Kura.  Present-day whānau who are descendants of those tūpuna, include; Hakopa, Makowharemahihi, Pine, Chase, Martin, Bennett, Whenuaroa, and many others. The whakapapa that connects these whānau to Ngāti Te Kura, is set out below: