Te ara tapu o ngā tūpuna

Abstract

My thesis focuses on the historical beginnings of my tribe, Te Aupouri and its evolution to the present time. It is the first time such a comprehensive gathering and comparison of Te Aupouri's history and traditions has been attempted. The thesis begins with a description of the ancestral canoes, the reasons they left their homeland and their arrival in this land. My research will specifically follow the Te Aupouri line of descent and the close genealogical links of Te Aupouri to other such distinctive iwi, Ngapuhi, Ngati Kahu and Te Rarawa, and the relationships that eventuated. I discuss the challenges, tribulations and events that Te Aupoiiri experienced on their journey of expansion and survival. The account includes a description of their first settlement areas, the movement and relocation of a hapii and the sacrifices they had to make in order to survive. I examine reasons why Te Aupoiiri relocated and the lifestyle and traditions that guided their direction in those early beginnings and up to recent times. I discuss the events that led Te Aupoiiri into battle with its close relatives Te Rarawa and Ngapuhi. Many links and relationships are examined because of their common lines of descent and the complexities that constantly challenged Maori society in former times.