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Story: Te Arawa

Te Arawa genealogy

Te Arawa genealogy

Ohomairangi was born from the union of the ancestor Pūhaorangi, who descended from the heavens and slept with Te Kuraimonoa. Six generations later when war ravaged the Polynesian island of Rangiātea, Ohomairangi’s descendant Tamatekapua led his people to the North Island of New Zealand in the canoe named Te Arawa.

Whakapapa from information provided by Paul Tapsell

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Paul Tapsell, Te Arawa – Origins, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/whakapapa/1508/te-arawa-genealogy (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Paul Tapsell, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 March 2017.

Comments

George Wast
30 September 2020
Kia Ora Could you please send me any information you may have on Maraetae, or Maraetaea. His name comes up in different areas around the north Island (Maraetae geothermal power stations etc) Especially any whakapapa which is what I am after at this time so we can connect with what I have at the moment. I am a descendant. Thankyou. Nga mihi George Wast

04 July 2018
Kia ora Beatrice, thank you for your comment. We have been in touch with Professor Paul Tapsell who says the whakapapa provided was deliberately abridged as practiced by his elders when sharing this knowledge in a public forum.
Beatrice Koopu
28 June 2018
The above genealogy is not correct, it goes from Ohomairangi, Ruamuturangi, Taunga, Mawake, Uruika, Rangitapu, Atuamatua, Houmaitawhiti, Tamatekapua. Please correct it