| Te Aupōuri | |
| Iwi of New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Rohe (location) | Northland |
| Waka (canoe) | Māmari |
| Population | 8,200 |
| Website | http://www.teaupouri.iwi.nz/ |
Te Aupōuri is the northernmost Māori iwi (tribal group), located north of Kaitaia, Northland, New Zealand, a region known as the Aupouri Peninsula.
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In Māori, Te Aupouri means "The Dark Cloud". According to legend, the Te Aupōuri came into conflict with the Te Rarawa. The battle between to two eventually caused two other chieftains, Te Ikanui and Wheru, to become besieged in their pā in Pawarenga on Whangape Harbour. To mask their escape, they burnt their possessions and escaped under the cover of the smoke, hence the reference to the "Dark Cloud".
The following is the iwi's chant:
| Māori | English translation |
|---|---|
| Ko Tawhitirahi te maunga | Tawhitirahi was the mountain |
| Ko Te Awapoka te awa | Te Awapoka was the river |
| Ko Pārengarenga te moana | Pārengarenga was the sea |
| Ko Pōtahi te marae | Pōtahi was the marae |
| Ko Waimirirangi te wharehui | Waimirirangi was the wharenui |
| Ko Te Rongopātūtaonga te wharekai | Rongopātūtaonga was the eating hall |
| Ko Te Kao te kāinga | Te Kao was the settlement |
| Ko Te Aupōuri te iwi | Te Aupōuri was the tribe |
| Tīhewa mauri ora | It is life |
According to the traditions of the Aotea, Horouta and Māmari ancestral canoes, kiore (polynesian rats) were passengers on their voyages from Hawaiki to New Zealand. Carvings on a window frame of Te Ōhākī marae at Ahipara depict the story of Ruanui's rat, Ruanui being the captain of the Māmari canoe. On arriving in Hokianga Harbour, he released his rats onto an island now called Motukiore "rat island".