MANAIA KAINGA

Te Whare Tupuna - Te Kouorehua

Te Kouorehua is the name of the Ngāti Pūkenga meeting house situated in Manaia. There were two ancestors of this name. Te Kouorehua (no.1)was the paramount chief of the Ngāti Pūkenga and Te Tawera tribes during much of the 19th century. He was known as a great warrior in battle and for his superior knowledge of battle strategies which won him many accolades in battle. As a result of his assistance in avenging the death of Te Waha of Ngati Maru, the land at Manaia was gifted to him and his people. There were several subsequent gifts made later to Ngāti Pūkenga which recognised over a half century of strong military alliances, inter marriages, whanaungatanga, friendship and mutual respect.

“Ko Hauturu, hei kawhena mo Te Kou.”

Let our sacred mountain, Hauturu be the resting place of Te Kouorehua.

Te Kouorehua

On his passing, he was attended by all the chiefs and people from around Hauraki. On his death bed he instructed his son, Paroto Manutawhiorangi to give the Manaia lands back to Ngati Maru and take all his people back to their own lands in Tauranga.

When Paroto stood to return the land to Ngati Maru they each in turn stood and replied:

“e kore koe e tika kia whakahokia mai te whenua, e kore matou kia whakakorea te whenua, me noho koe”.

“it is not right that you should return the land to us. We have not yet forgotten the reasons for the land. You should stay and reside on it, it is yours.

This beautiful korero was cemented in the whakatauki by the Ngati Maru chiefs at that time.