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44 degrees south
Ka tiu te toroa a uta, ka hoka te toroa a tai Te rangi pū nunui, te rangi pū roroa Papaki kau ana ngā ngaru tuatea ki Waitangi Horahia atu te takapou ki Pā Tangaroa Tērā te motu kohu ko Wharekauri e takoto ake nei e Hai!
Located about 870 kms away to the East of New Zealand, in what is known as the “Roaring Forties”our Ngāti Mutunga identity is synonymous with our Pa Tangaroa (the sea realm of Tangaroa). Blessed with an abundance of kai-moana (seafood) commercial fishing underpins our economy and way of life.
There a dozen islands that make up the Wharekauri archipelago including the main island of Wharekauri, Rangiauria (Pitt Island), Motuhara (the 44s), Motuhope (Star Keys), Rangatira (South east island), Tapuaenuku (little Mangere), and Rangitutahi (The Sisters) amongst a number of other island.
Two islands are permanently inhabited; Wharekauri, the main island has a population of about 640 people and Rangiauria (Pitt Island), which has a population of about 40 people.
He Matapihi Nō Mua
We are the people of Wharekauri. Journeying from our Taranaki kainga of Urenui, Mimi, Waitara, Ngāmotu and Mokau amongst others, our tipuna came to Wharekauri in 1835 and established our mana.
We are the descendants of Mutunga and Te Rerehua, the eponymous ancestors of Ngāti Mutunga. Our hapū affiliations include Ngāti Haumia, Kekerewai, and Ngāti Rāhiri. Our waka affiliations include Tokomaru, Aotea, Tainui and Ōkoki.
Our affiliation stems across our whanaunga iwi including Ngāti Mutunga of Urenui, Ngāti Tama, Te Ati Awa, Taranaki Iwi, and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. These links remain as important to us today as they were during our migration to Wharekauri.
We look to our maunga Pipitarawai, Korako; our awa Mangatukarewa; and our pataka kai Te Whaanga that establishes our Ngāti Mutunga identity.
We are the Mana Tangata.
From our ‘ringa raupa’, our calloused hands, we have shaped the island as the island has shaped us. We have maintained our ahi-kaa and our absolute tino rangatiratanga over Wharekauri. From our first settlement in Whangaroa (Port Hutt) our Iwi spread out to encompass the whole island and across to Rangiauria (Pitt Island) and the surrounding motu.
Our people established sheep and produce farms that were trading wool, mutton and potatoes as far away as the United States by 1840. Today our people continue to farm the island and their efforts make up a significant part of our economy.
We maintain our presence through our whare Whakamaharatanga at Te One (previously pa Tangaroa at Waitangi before it burned down in 1920) where our Iwi Trust Office is also located. We maintain three homes and two kaumatua flats at Te One and we are now in the process of establishing more homes for our whanau.
September 29th, 2023
The final result for the election of Trustees for the Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust that closed at 5pm on Saturday 16 September 2023.
February 27th, 2023
We all love the Chathams and the Island lifestyle, but did you know we have an investment strategy that talks to that, the love we have for our community and a wellbeing approach towards investment priorities for our place?
March 24th, 2022
Nau mai tatou katoa ki te Ngāti Mutunga ki te hui whakaora to tatou tumanako ki te hanga tetahi Pa mo to tatou Iwi nei.
Saturday 26th March - 10am Wharekauri time - The Den or online
