Who are Ngati Rehua

Ngati Rehua of Aotea or Great Barrier Island, is an Iwi in its own right, consisting of people who descend directly from Hoturoa, captain of the Tainui waka.  Ngati Rehua takes its name from an ancestor called Rehua.  Ngati Rehua acknowledges the ancient Hawaiikian god of the same name called, Rehua-i-te-rangi-nui-ka-tika or Lord of the tenth heaven who was born of Io as lightning and gave Tane his full name of Tane-nui-arangi. 

The Hawaiikian god Rehua assumed human form when he ascended to the heavens and became “Rehua o te tihi o Manono” or lord of the star host who dwells in the celestial heaven.  Manono is the name of an urupa on Aotea.  The god Rehua is also referred in the southern skies used by Maori in celestial navigation and planting. 

The later Rehua lived towards the end of the seventeenth century and was the son of Mataahu, and was the younger brother to Makinui.  Makinui or maki as he was known established the iwi called Te Kawerau-a-Maki.  Whanaungatanga has not existed between Te Kawerau-a-Maki and Ngati Rehua for over 150 years, except in instances of intermarriage.  Ngati Rehua was often referred to as Ngati Naunau.  Naunau had sons Tarawaikato and Te Ngaiea.  Tarawaikato had named his own son Te Ngaiea after his brother, who the Ngawaka whanau descended from and not from the first Te Ngaiea. 

A descendant of Naunau was Raihi Miraka Kewene or Ngawaka.  Raihi was the wahine rangatira of Ngati Rehua.  Her first husband Ngawaka Pukehuia was looked upon as a chief of Ngati Rehua and Ngati Wai.  At a Maori land claim hearing 12 February 1926, Raihi stated, “My hapu is Ngati Naunau, a hapu of Ngati Maru.  I am not of Ngati Wai.  My hapu in Motairehe and Kawa is Ngati Rehua.  We claim the Great Barrier chiefly as Ngati Rehua but also as Ngati Manaia.”  (Extract from Kaipara minute book, vol 15, folio 119-120.)

In 1998 Judge Spencer (da Silva, 1998, p.30) (for the Māori Land Court) determined Ngati Rehua Ngati Wai ki Aotea to have irrefutably established ahi kaa, tikanga, and kaitiakitanga.  Ngati Rehua Ngati Wai ki Aotea were determined to be the owners and kaitiaki of the islands and rocky outcrops as they have the knowledge of customary practices on Aotea and are the human kaitiaki of the taonga toku iho.