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Ngāti Hako is a Māoriiwi of New Zealand. The people of Ngāti Hako are acknowledged as the earliest settlers in the Hauraki region. Although Ngāti Hako endured long periods of conflict with the Marutūāhu peoples, they were never completely overcome. They have maintained a presence in Hauraki to the present day. Their origins are not known, but it is suggested that they belonged to the ancient Te Tini o Toi people, who were descendants of the Polynesian navigator Toitehuatahi.
The survival of Ngāti Hako through the period of Marutūāhu expansion was assisted by a strategic marriage. The high-born Ngāti Hako woman Ruawehea was married to Tamatera, the son of Marutūāhu. The special relationship between Ngāti Hako and the lands of Hauraki is recalled in their traditional call of welcome.
Haere mai, nau mai. Haere mai, kuhu noa mai ki ngā hūhā o Ruawehea.
Come forth, welcome. Come forth and enter the thighs of Ruawehea.