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Topic: Te Āti Awa
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Te Āti Awa of north Taranaki is one of several closely related tribes originating from the ancestor Awanuiarangi. According to tribal traditions, Awanuiarangi had a semi-divine origin. He was conceived from the union of an earthly mother, Rongoueroa, and Tamarau-te-heketanga-a-rangi, a spirit that descended from the sky.
Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke’s pā Adze and anchor stone of the Tokomaru Te Āti Awa lands
Te Āti Awa in Taranaki are located on the coast between Ōnukutaipari, near New Plymouth, and Te Rau o te Huia, near Motunui. Before the arrival of Europeans this territory sustained Te Āti Awa, who cultivated some 32 km of coastline and a large undulating fertile plain that extends inland for several kilometres. The inland boundary is somewhat contested, but two markers that are generally acknowledged are a promontory on the north-east slopes of Mt Taranaki, called Tāhunatūtawa, and the inland Matemateaonga Ranges.
Source: Peter Adds. 'Te Āti Awa of Taranaki - Origins and lands', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 4-Mar-09
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/te-ati-awa-of-taranaki/1
