Te Hikawera

He maintained pā sites at Oueroa, Manahuna, and Kaimata, from which he exercised authority over the whole of Heretaunga.

Through both parents, he was a descendant of Rākei-hikuroa and ultimately of Kahungunu; Tamatea, who captained the Tākitimu canoe; and the early explorer Toi, but his mother and father belonged to different branches of the iwi, who had long been at variance.

[7] Hikawera grew up at Rotoatara (about four kilometres east of Pukehou) in the Heretaunga region (Hawke’s Bay).

On his arrival, a chieftain of Ngāti Manawa, Tangiharuru, came to see Te Hikawera at a spot on the Mohaka River.

[14] As the two chiefs travelled together over the Ahimanawa Range, Tangiharuru said, “Hikawera, why did you bring your beautiful wife to this ugly country which is like the spikes of the tatara kina (sea urchin) of Heretaunga?” As a result, Te Hikawera named the nearby mountain Tataraakina.

[17] Hikawera's cousin, Kaitahi[18] came from Purangahau to Oeroa with people from Ngāti Kahungunu.

The innards of the dogs were disposed of in the traditional manner in the nearby river, which therefore gained the name Tūtaekurī ('dog-excrement').

During their stay, Hikawera's second daughter, Whakapakaru fell in love with Hikateko's son Ruruarau.