Ko Ngāti Kahungunu te tuatoru o ngā iwi nui rawa ki Aotearoa. Ahakoa karangahia ai he iwi, he tika ake pea kia kīia a Ngāti Kahungunu, he tōpūtanga o ngā iwi me ngā hapū, i heke i a Kahungunu.
Ko ngā wāhanga nui o te iwi ko:
I tua atu i te wāhi mahinga kai, he ara matua, he huarahi nui ngā awa, ngā roto me ngā whanga maha kei te rohe o Ngāti Kahungunu.
Wairoa hōpūpū, hōnengenenge
E kōrero ana te whakataukī nei mō te hūkeri o te awa o Wairoa, ōna ia kōmiro, me te rite o ngā tāngata o konei ki tō rātou awa.
Ko ngā tino pā tautiaki i te rohe o Ahuriri ko Ōtātara rāua ko Heipipi, engari arā anō ētahi atu pā. He maha ngā kāinga kapi ai i ōna taha. Nui te mātaitai me ngā mahinga ika ki Te Whanganui a Orotū. Kei ōna awa, ōna kōawa, ōna repo te mahi a te tuna, te koura wai māori, te harakeke me te raupō. Ko ngā moutere i te hāpua o Ahuriri (nā te rū i hiki i te tau 1931) ngā wāhi hī ika, ko ngā whenua mōmona kei ōna takutai i pai mō te whakatū whare me te whakatipu kai.
Kei ngā tahataha o tēnei roto (i mōhiotia tuatahitia ko Whātuma) e pātata ana ki Waipukurau, ngā mahuetanga o ngā puni me ngā kāinga. He rite te roto o Hātuma ki te ngahere o Ōtāia (he kōhanga kawau) me te awa o Tukituki, arā he takiwā nui mō te mahi kai.
Ko Whakapunake te maunga i mau ai te matau a Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga i a ia ka hī ake i tana ika nui. E tū ana te maunga nei ki te pito whakateraki rawa o ngā whenua o Ngāti Kahungunu, kei waenganui i a Tūranga me Te Wairoa.
Hei ēnei rā, e tata ana ki te hāpua o Whakakī kei te rāwhiti o Wairoa, ka kitea tonuhia ngā puke e whitu: Ko Tahutoria, ko Takitaki, ko Korito, ko Onepoto, ko Iwitea, ko Tūhara, ko Hikunui. E ai ki ngā kōrero tuku iho, he tohorā ēnei i hurihia hei puke. Ki a Ngāi Tahu Matawhāiti, he hapū nō Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, he tapu ēnei hiwi.
Ko Maungaharuru kei waenganui o Te Wairoa me Ahuriri. Koinei te wāhi i whakatauhia ai e Tūpai, tētahi o ngā tohunga tokotoru o runga i te waka Tākitimu, te mauri (he taonga whakairo mai i te rākau) o te manu. Ko te tikanga o te ingoa o ‘Maungaharuru’ ko ‘te maunga haruru ana i te rere o te tini manu’.
E ai ki te kōrero, ko te tihi o Te Mata me ngā puke ki te tonga tae atu ki Kahurānaki, (e pātata ana ki Havelock North) i hangaia mai i te tinana o te tipuna Rongokako, nāna ngā tapuwae nui i waiho ki Kahurānaki, ki Kirihaehae, ki Whāngārā hoki. Ka kitea tōna tinana mehemea ka taraiwa atu i Heretaunga ki te tihi o Te Mata.
Ko te pā o Te Pakake i tū ki Ahuriri. Nō te whakaeketanga o ngā toa mau pū e 2000 o Waikato, o Ngāti Raukawa, o Tūwharetoa, o Ngāti Maniapoto i a ia, ka hinga te pā. He nui ngā rangatira i hinga, a Whakatō, a Pakapaka, a Humenga, a Te Hauwaho me ētahi atu. Ko te ingoa o Te Pakake, hei maumaharatanga i te pakanga nei, e whakarite ana i ngā toa i hinga ki te pakake kua pae ki uta.
Ko Rākaihikuroa te mokopuna a Kahungunu, nāna te pā o Puketapu i whakatū. E 70 ngā tāngata o Ngāti Māmoe i hinga, i a rātou ka pakanga ki a Ngāti Ira. Ko te pā o Puketapu e pātata ana ki Ōmāhu.
Nā te āhuatanga ki te waka tapu o Tākitimu me tōna iwi i puta ai te tuakiritanga o Ngāti Kahungunu.
I tae mai a Tākitimu i Hawaiki, ko tōna kaiārahi ko Tamatea Arikinui. Nō tā rātou taenga mai ki Aotearoa, ka whakatau a Tamatea Arikinui ko Tauranga hei kāinga mōna, ka tukuna e ia te kaiārahitanga o Takitimu ki a Tahu Potiki. Ko Ruawharo tētahi o ngā tohunga nui o te waka, i tau ia ki Te Māhia.
Ka piki a Tākitimu i te awa o Wairoa kia tau ki Makeakea. Kei reira ko te whare tīpuna o Tākitimu e tū ana i ēnei rā. I mahue mai ētahi o ngā uri o Tahu Pōtiki, kīia ai ko Ngāi Tahu o Te Wairoa. Ko Tūpai tētahi atu o ngā tohunga i runga i te waka, ka tau ia ki Te Wairarapa. Mai i konei ka haere a Tahu Pōtiki ki Te Waipounamu, kia tū hei tipuna o te iwi o Ngāi Tahu.
Ko te tama a Tamatea Arikinui ko Rongokako. He tohunga ia, nui whakaharahara āna mawhititanga. I ngā whakataetae i waenganui i a rāua ko Pāoa kia riro a Muriwhenua, ka mawhiti nui ia i te moana me te whenua, ka mahue ōna tapuwae kei Heretaunga, kei Kirihaehae i Mahia, kei te Tapuwae o Rongokako kei te takiwā ki Whāngārā.
Ka whānau mai a Tamatea Ure Hāea, te tama a Rongokako rāua ko Muriwhenua. Ko tētahi o ōna ingoa ko Tamatea-pōkai-whenua-pōkai-moana, nā tana huri taiāwhio i Aotearoa. Ko tēnei wāhanga o tōna ingoa kei roto i tētahi o ngā ingoa wāhi roa rawa o te ao katoa inā:
Taumatawhakatangihangakōauauatamateaturipukakapiki
maungahoronukupōkaiwhenuakitānatahu.
Ko tēnei wāhi e pātata ana ki Pōrangahau. I konei whakatangihia ai e Tamatea tana kōauau ki tana whaiāipo.
Tokotoru ngā wāhine a Tamatea Ure Hāea, he tuahine katoa; ko Te Onoono-i-waho, ko Iwi-pūpū rātou ko Te Moana-i-kauia, hei tamāhine mā Ira rāua ko Tokerauwahine. Ko te tama a Tamatea rāua ko Iwipūpū i tapaina ko Kahungunu.
I whānau mai a Kahungunu (ko Kahu-hunuhunu rānei) ki te pā o Tinotino ki Ōrongotea (nō muri ka whakaingoatia ko Kaitāia). Ka hūnuku tōna matua ki te rohe o Tauranga, te wāhi i tipu ake ai a Kahungunu.
Ko tētahi o ngā wāhine a Kahungunu, ko Ruareretai, he puhi nō Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa. I mua tata i te whānautanga mai o tā rāua tamāhine, ka tīkina e Kahungunu he tīeke hei kai mā tana wahine. Nō te whānautanga mai o tā rāua tamāhine ka tapaa ia ki te ingoa Ruahereheretīeke (ngā tīeke i hereherea i tō rātou kōhanga).
He tangata tāroa, pūrotu a Kahungunu. Ka puta whānui te rongo mō tōna rangatiratanga. He tangata puku mahi, i whakatū kāinga, i keri hāwai hei waiwai i ngā māra, i kohi kai, i auaha whakairo, tā moko, te raranga me te tārai waka. Kōrero ai tōna iwi mōna:
Ko Kahu-hunuhunu he tangata ahuwhenua mōhio ki te haere i ngā mahi o uta me te tai.
Ko tētahi kōrero mōna, i tahuri a Kahungunu ki te kari kōawa mai i Awanui ki Kaitāia, kia taea ai e Ngāti Awa te tō i ō rātou waka ki ngā papatahi mōmona kei reira. Waihoki ka hinga te kaupapa, nā te roa o te wā ki te whakaoti i te mahi, nā te pakaru hoki o nga taputapu nā te pōhatuhatu o te whenua repo.
Nō muri mai ka toko te whakaaro ki a Kahungunu kia haere ki te tonga, ka whakarērea e ia tana wahine tuatahi a Hinetapu me ā rāua tamariki a Tamateaiti rātou ko Haruatai, ko Poupoto. Ka noho a Kahungunu ki Tauranga, ki te taha o tōna matua a Tamatea Ure Hāea mō tētahi wā poto.
I te hopukanga o Pou Wharekura i tētahi pakanga, ka tono tahi a Wekanui rāua ko Kahukuranui, te tama a Kahungunu mōna. Kia kore ai e tutū te puehu, ka moea a Pou Wharekura e Kahungunu hei wahine māna. E ai ki te kōrero, nā Pou Wharekura tonu te tono ki a Kahungunu ko ia hei wahine māna, he pai ake ki a ia kia maimoatia ia e te koroua, tē mauhereherea e te tamariki.
I Ōtira ka kapohia noatia e ia ētahi ika e haohia ana ki tātahi. Ka kite tōna tuakana a Whaene i tana mahi, kātahi ka whiua atu e ia te tāmure ki a Kahungunu kia werohia tōna ringa e te tara o te ika. Whāia, nō te whānautanga mai o te tama a tōna huānga a Haumanga, ka whakaingoatia e Kahungunu ko Tūtāmure (he mea wero e te tāmure) hei maumaharatanga mō taua āhuatanga.
Ka nuku a Kahungunu ki Whakatāne, ka moe i a Waiarai, kia puta ko Pō Tirohia. Ka nuku anō a Kahungunu ki Opotiki ka noho i te taha o tōna whanaunga o Haumanga. I reira ka uru ia ki tētahi pakanga ki ngā iwi o Rotorua; i karangahia te pakanga nei ko Te Awhenga.
I a ia ka haere whakatetonga, ka tūtakina, ka moea e Kahungunu te tokomaha o ngā wāhine, i puta ai te tini o ana tamariki.
I tōna kaumātuatanga, ka moe a Kahungunu i tētahi puhi, ko Pou Wharekura, he mea hopu ki te pā o Kaiwhakareireia. Ka puta tā rāua tamāhine ko Ruatāpui.
Whānui te rongohia o te korero aroha mō Kahungunu rāua ko Rongomaiwahine.
I tae te rongo ki a Kahungunu mō te ātaahua me te arikitanga o Rongomaiwahine. Hāunga, nō tōna taenga ki Te Māhia ka kite ia kua moe kē a Rongomaiwahine i a Tamatakutai. Ka tahuri a Kahungunu ki te whakarata i te iwi o Rongomaiwahine, inā te rahi o te aruhe, i tākaia e ia ki te aka, ka takahurihia i te puke. Nā te nui mārika o te aruhe ka purukatia ngā tatau o te whare.
Kātahi ia ka piki i tētahi puke, ki reira mātaki ai i ngā karoro e ruku ana i te wai; ka whakangungu ia kia rite tana kuku hau ki tā ngā manu kuku hau. Mai i tēra wā kua mōhiotia taua puke ko Puke Karoro. Kātahi a Kahungunu ka haere ki te ruku. Kikī ana ngā ipu ki te pāua hei toha mā ngā tāngata katoa o te pā. Nō tōna pueanga ake i tana ruku whakamutunga, kua piri katoa te pāua ki tōna uma, mīharo ana ngā tāngata.
Nō te whakaaetanga o te iwi o Rongomaiwahine ki a ia, ka whakatika a Kahungunu ki te whakatūtū i te ngangare ki waenganui i a Rongomaiwahine me tana tāne a Tamatakutai. I tētahi pō ka haere huna ia, ka pīhau ki waenganui i te tokorua rā, ka oho ake rāua, ka tohe rāua ki a rāua anō. Aoake, ka haere a Kahungunu i te taha o Tamatakutai ki te tākaro retireti ngaru mā runga waka. Ka riro mā Kahungunu te waka e urungi, ka taupokina e ia te waka i runga i tētahi ngaru nui, ka taka atu a Tamatakutai. Nā te mea kīhai ia i mōhio ki te kauhoe, ka toremi a Tamatakutai.
I tētahi rā ka mea atu a Kahungunu ki a Rongomaiwahine kia whiri i ōna makawe. I a ia e here ana i te tikitiki o Kahungunu ka whati te here. Ka nanao a Kahungunu ki tōna tātua, ka tangohia he harakeke i whakatipuria ki Kawhainui, e pātata ana ki Tauranga. Kia mutu te whakangohengohe i te harakeke ki te wai, ka oti te here a Rongomaiwahine i tōna tikitiki. Kātahi a Kahungunu ka tū, ka anga whakateraki me tana kī:
E te pūtiki wharanui o Tamatea i mahue atu rā i runga o Tauranga.
Nā tēnei kōrero, ka mārama a Rongomaiwahine rātou ko tōna iwi ko wai ake a Kahungunu. Ka moe pūmau rāua, ka noho rāua ki Maungakāhia, te pā i Te Māhia, ka mate a Kahungunu ki konei.
He rahi ngā uri o Rongomaiwahine kei Te Māhia e pūmau ana ki tō ratou Ngāti Rongomaiwahinetanga, kāpā ki te Ngāti Kahungunutanga: ko tō rātou e whakapono ai, he rangatira ake te whakapapa o Rongomaiwahine i tō Kahungunu.
Ka noho a Kahungunu rāua ko Rongomaiwahine ki Maunga-a-Kāhia (Maungakāhia), te pā i whakatūria e Kahungunu ki Nukutaurua. Tokorima ā rāua tamariki: ko Kahukuranui (he tama) rātou ko Rongomaipāpā (he tamāhine), ko Tamatea-kōtā (he tama), ko Māhakinui (he tama), ko Tauheikurī (he tamāhine).
Kotahi anake te whakaekenga o Maungakāhia. Tērā tētahi wā ka whakatika a Tūtāmure, a Tamataipūnoa (ngā tama a Haumanga, te uri o Kahungunu) me ā raua toa e 500 te rahi mai i Ōpōtiki ki Te Māhia. He pā ikeike, he pā kaha a Maungakāhia, ahakoa tērā, ka whakapaeangatia te pā e Tūtāmure rāua ko Tamataipūnoa. Nō te kitenga kei te kino te pakanga, ka tonoa e Kahungunu tana tamāhine mātāmuri a Tauheikurī kia mōhio ai ko wai e taki ana i te taua. Ka tū a Tūtāmure ka kī:
Ranga ranga te muri, ka tutū te ngaru o te moana ko au tenei ko Tūtāmure.
Hei reira ka mōhio a Kahungunu ko te tama a tōna huānga tērā. Ka tonoa e ia a Tauheikurī hei wahine mā Tūtāmure. I te mea kīhai ia i mōhio ko wai a Tūtāmure, ka tūturi a Tauheikurī ki mua kē i te mea pūrotu, i a Tamataipūnoa, ka tukuna te meremere, a Titingāpua ki a ia. Nō konei, ka haere a Tūtāmure kia tiro i tōna āhua i tetahi hōpua wai kei te ākau kei mua o Maungakāhia, ka mōhio ia, he pūrotu ake tana teina i a ia. Mai i taua wā kua mōhiotia taua hōpua wai ko Te Wai Whakaata a Tūtāmure. Ka tohu a Tūtāmure ki tana teina kia whakaaehia ngā koha – te meremere me te whakapākūhātanga ki a Tauheikurī. Nā wai ā, ka haere a Tauheikurī rāua ko Tamataipūnoa ki te rohe o Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa noho ai. Tokorua ā rāua tamariki, ko Tawhiwhi rāua ko Māhaki. Ka hua ake ko Māhaki te tipuna o Te Aitanga a Māhaki.
Ko te pā o Ōmaruhakeke kei tua tata o Marumaru i whakaeketia e tētahi taua nō Te Kaha. Ko Apanui te rangatira. Ka hinga te pā. I mua o tōna patunga, ka umere a Kōtore te rangatira o te pā, ‘E hoa, ko te weriweri ai ka takoto ai au ki roto ki tō puku!’ Ka pātai a Apanui kei hea he tāne pūrotu ake i a ia, ka kite a Kōtore i āna ake tama, a Umurau rāua ko Tamahikawai e arahina ana ki a Apanui kia patua. Ka whakautu a Kōtore, ‘Arā, kia pērā me ngā tukemata nui o Kahungunu e arahina mai rā.’ Nō muri mai ka mōhiotia ai a Tapuwae, te mokopuna a Kōtore, rātou ko tōna wahine me ōna uri ko Ngā Tukemata nui o Kahungunu. Nō muri mai ka ūhia te ingoa ki ngā uri katoa o Kahungunu.
Ko Te Huki e ora ana e ono whakapaparanga i muri mai i a Kahungunu rāua ko Rongomaiwahine. I ōna rā, koia te rangatira nui o te whenua kei waenganui o Waihua me Mōhaka. Nā roto i āna mārenatanga me tana whakanoho i ana tamariki ki ngā wāhi atu i Tūranganui-a-Kiwa ki Wairarapa, ka tū āna hononga tangata wā roa i kīia ko Te Kupenga a Te Huki.
Tokotoru ngā wāhine a Te Huki arā ko:
Noho tonu ai ngā wāhine a Te Huki ki waenganui i ō rātou ake iwi, he wā anō ka huri haere ia kia kite i tēnā, i tēnā o rātou. Ka moe ana tamariki i ngā tamariki a ngā rangatira whai kaha, me te aha, ko ō rātou uri, ko ngā whānau matua o Whāngārā-Tūranganui, o Te Māhia, o Nūhaka, o Te Wairoa, o Heretaunga, o Pōrangahau.
Nō te taenga o te Pākehā ki te rohe o Ngāti Kahungunu i te tekau tau atu i 1820, i hoko pū atu ia ki te Māori, i kitea ai ngā kino i pā ki te iwi. Ko Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa i whakaekea i te tau 1822 e ngā iwi mau pū o Ngāpuhi, o Hauraki, o Waikato, o Te Whakatōhea, o Tūhoe. E rua ngā tau i muri mai ka noho a Te Wera Hauraki o Ngāpuhi ki Te Māhia hei kaitiaki mō taua iwi.
I te whakaeketanga o te taua mau pū o Ngāpuhi ki te rohe o Te Wairoa ka horo te iwi ki tō rātou pā whakaharahara ki runga o Mōrere, kei te tonga-mā-rāwhiti o Nūhaka. Ka whakapaeangatia te pā e Ngāpuhi, engari nā te nui o ngā kai o te pā, ko te ope taua kē ka rongo i te matekai. Ka tāwaitia a Ngāpuhi e ngā tāngata o te pā, ka whiua ngā para kai ki a rātou, nā reira hua ake ai te ingoa o Moumoukai. Nāwai ā, ka hīkina e Ngāpuhi tana whakapaeanga. I mua i tōna hokinga, ka tono a Pōmare o Ngāpuhi kia tapaina e tētahi tokorua tā rāua tamaiti ki tōna ingoa. Nā reira i hua ake te ingoa o Pōmare hei ingoa whānau ki roto o Nūhaka.
I te tau 1830 ka neke te nuinga o ngā tāngata o Ngāti Kahungunu e noho ana ki Ahuriri ki Te Māhia e puta ai ō rātou ihu i ngā whakaeketanga o tētahi taua nui rawa o Waikato, o Ngāti Raukawa, o Ngāti Tūwharetoa, o Ngāti Maniapoto.
I mauhereherea a Te Hāpuku o Ngāti Whatuiāpiti me Ngāti Kahungunu ki te pā o Te Pakakē; waihoki ka puta tōna ihu ki Te Māhia. I te tau 1835 ko Te Hāpuku tētahi o ngā rangatira i waitohu i te Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Niu Tīreni, i hainahia te tuhinga nei e ētahi rangatira mai ngā iwi.
Kia tae ki te tekau tau atu i 1830 kua tūtū kē ngā teihana patu tohorā kei Te Mahia, Te Wairoa, Tāngōio, Pētane-Heipipi me Cape Kidnappers. Ko te nuinga o ngā teihana patu tohorā nei i runga i ngā whenua i rīhitia e te Māori. I taua wā anō, kua tīmata te hokihoki a ngā tāngata o Heretaunga ki ō rātou kāinga tipu.
Nā Te Hāpuku te Tiriti o Waitangi i haina i te tau 1840 mō Ngāti Kahungunu. Ko tētahi atu tangata i haina ko Mātenga Tūkareaho o Te Wairoa. Tērā pea he tāngata tokotoru atu nō Ngāti Kahungunu i haina. Kia tae ki te tau 1851 kua taunga a Ngāti Kahungunu ki te mahi me te hoko kai pēnei i te witi, te kānga, te hua rākau, ngā hua whenua, te poaka, te rīwai. Kua tau kē te noho a ngā kaitiaki kararehe Pākehā ki Te Wairarapa, e tīmata ana tā rātou neke kia tata haere ki Ahuriri. I te tuatahi i te kuhu ratou ki ētahi rīhi whenua kāore i whai mana ā-ture.
Ko te whakataukī a ‘Heretaunga haukū nui’ e kōrero ana mō te whenua parahua, mōmona kei te taha tonga-mā-uru o Heretaunga. He nui ngā arawai me ngā repo kī ana i te kai, i te aha noa. Nō te keringa o ngā repo e te Pākehā mō te ahuwhenua, ka kitea te tino mōmona o te one.
Kia tae ki te tau 1859, e 1,404,700 ngā eka (568,462 heketea) i hokona e te Kāwanatanga mai i a Ngāti Kahungunu i Te Matau-a-Māui; he tinihanga ētahi o ngā hokohoko. Kei waenganui i te 3,000 ki te 4,000 eka whenua (1,200 – 1,600 heketea) i te pupuritia tonutia e ngā Māori e 3,500 te nui. Ka nui haere ngā whakahē ki ngā mahi hoko whenua; kia tae ki te tekau atu i 1870 kua tū Te Rōpū Whakahētanga Hoko Whenua (Repudiation Movement) ki te whakahē i ngā hokonga whenua katoa.
Kia tae ki te wā o te rū i Ahuriri i te tau 1931, he maramara whenua noa i ngā ringa o ngā hapū tokowhitu o Te Whanganui a Ōrotu. Nā te rū te whenua i hiki i te hāpua o Ahuriri. Ka tangohia nga moutere e ono kei te hāpua ki raro i te Public Works Act, kore rawa he utunga. I roto i ngā tau e 40 ka ngaro katoa ngā tika me ngā whenua o ngā hapū.
Ko Pāpāwai tētahi kāinga e pātata ana ki Hūpēnui (Greytown) ki te rohe o Kahungunu ki Te Wairarapa. He wāhi whakahirahira ia nō te iwi i ngā tau whakamutunga o te rau tau 1800. I te tekau tau atu i 1860 ka whakaakongia ki konei e te tohunga e Te Mātorohanga ngā kōrero tuku iho me ngā tikanga tawhito o Ngāti Kahungunu. I tuhia e Hoani Whatahoro Jury ēnei kōrero me ngā akoranga a tērā atu tohunga o te rohe o Te Wairarapa, a Nēpia Pōhūhū. I muri mai ka tāpirihia atu e tētahi rangatira nō Te Wairarapa e Tamahau Mahupuku āna kōrero ki ngā tuhituhi. Koia tētahi o te hunga whāngai kōrero ki te kaimātai momo tangata a Percy Smith.
Ko te paremata Māori arā, Te Kotahitanga, i hui ki Pāpāwai i te tau 1897. I tino kaha te kaupapa o Te Kotahitanga ki te rohe o Te Wairarapa ka mutu ka tū anō ngā hui ki te marae o Waipatu ki Heretaunga i te tau 1892 me te tau 1893.
I te tau 1857, ka kohaina e te iwi o Te Aute ngā whenua e 1,745 eka (700 heketea) te rahi hei whakatū kura hei whakaako i ngā tamariki Māori. I roto i ngā tau, kua whakaakongia e te kura o Te Aute me te Kura Kōtiro Māori o Hukarere te tokomaha o ngā kaiārahi rongonui rawa o te ao Māori. Nō te tau 1897 ka whakatūria e ngā ākonga o Te Aute ‘Te Kotahitanga o Ngā Tamariki o te Kareti o Te Aute’. Nō muri mai ka whakatūria e ngā tauira tawhito o Te Aute ko te Rōpū Taitamariki Māori (Young Māori Party).
He maha ngā nūpepa kua puta i a Ngāti Kahungunu hei whakamōhio i ngā whakaaro me ngā āwangawanga o rātou ngā uri. Ko ētahi o ēnei tānga tuhituhinga ko:
Ko Te Reo Irirangi o Kahungunu e tū ana ki te Whare Takiura o Kahungunu (Eastern Institute of Technology) kei Te Matau-a-Māui. Nō te tau 1988 whakatūria ai te reo irirangi. Ko Sandy Adsett o Ngāti Kahungunu tētahi pūkenga toi e mōhiotia whānuitia ana i te ao; koia te kaihautū o te ura toi Māori o Toimairangi, kei Heretaunga. Kua tae rā anō te Rōpū Kanikani Toi o Kahurangi (Te Kahurangi Māori Dance Theatre) o Heretaunga ki Amerika ki te Raki, ki reira whakaatu atu ai i ā rātou mahi.
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated te kaitiaki i ngā kaupapa whanake me ngā hiahia o te iwi puta noa, tae noa ki ngā take tōrangapū. E ono ōna rohe taiwhenua, tae atu ki ngā taura here ki ngā tāone pēnei i a Tāmaki-makaurau me Te Whanganui-a-Tara, ngā wāhi kei reira e noho ana te tini o te iwi.
Hui katoa e 86 ngā marae ki te rohe o Kahungunu. Ko ētahi karekau he whare, ko ētahi kua koroua ngā whare, engari ka tū tonu hei marae. Ko te nuinga o ngā marae kei waenganui pū i ō ratou hapori. Hāunga tērā, he maha ngā whare hōu kua whakatūria ki runga i ngā marae, he tohu ki te mea e kaha tonu ana a Ngāti Kahungunu ki tō rātou ake rohe.
I ngā tatauranga o Aotearoa mai i te tau 1991 ka pātaihia ngā tāngata Māori nō tēhea iwi rātou.
Kei raro ko ngā nama e whakaatu ana tokohia ngā tāngata nō Ngāti Kahungunu (e whai pānga ana rānei ki ētahi atu iwi hoki). Kei raro anō whakaatuhia ai ngā iwi o ngā rohe nunui i te tatauranga o te tau 2013.
Ko 1901 te tau whakamutunga rawa i pātaihia ai te Māori nō tēhea iwi rātou. Heoi kāore i pātaihia kia whakatakotohia ngā iwi maha.
Ballara, Angela. Iwi: the dynamics of Māori tribal organisation from c. 1769 to c. 1945. Wellington: Victoria University Press, 1998.
Buck, Peter. The coming of the Maori. Wellington: Maori Purposes Fund Board/Whitcombe & Tombs, 1949.
Halbert, R. W. Horouta: the history of the Horouta canoe, Gisborne and East Coast. Auckland: Reed, 1999.
Keene, Florence. Tai Tokerau. Whāngārei: F. Keene, 1986.
Mitchell, J. H. Takitimu. Christchurch: Kiwi, 1997 (originally published 1944).
Waitangi Tribunal. Te Whanganui-a-Orotu report. Wai 55. Wellington: Brooker's, 1995.
Wright, Matthew. Havelock North: the history of a village. Hastings: Hastings District Council, 1996.