Ngātoro-i-rangi

He was descended from the Ngāti Ohomairangi tribe and was direct successor to the high priest of Taputapuatea marae at Rangiātea.

After the various battles in Hawaiki these two divisions decided to participate in the migration to New Zealand (Aotearoa), and set about building the two great waka (ships) Tainui and Arawa.

However, Ngātoro-i-rangi was persuaded by Tama-te-kapua to come aboard Te Arawa with his wife to perform the final rituals that would allow the waka to make for open water.

While this was happening Tama-te-kapua ordered his crew to head for open water, and thus Ngātoro-i-rangi and his wife were kidnapped.

It was only when the shrieks of the women and children moved his heart with pity that Ngātoro-i-rangi relented, and let the canoe emerge safely.

Ngātoro-i-rangi stamped his foot opening a chasm in the mountain into which Te Tama-Hoi was buried.

Ngātoro-i-rangi named a large number of places in the Central Plateau of the North Island in order to claim the area on behalf of his descendants, who would eventually return under the mantle of the tribe Ngāti Tūwharetoa.

It is said that as an old man Ngātoro-i-rangi attempted to travel to Kawhia to visit his cousin Hoturoa who had taken command of the Tainui waka, but he never arrived.

Many years later his bones were recovered from the Waikato River with his facial tattoo (tāmoko) still identifiable.