Long before European arrival, the Ngāti Tūpoho hapū—part of the wider Te Āti Haunui‑a‑Pāpārangi iwi—made their home at the mouth of the Whanganui River, establishing Pūtiki Pā as a major meeting place. It was here that mana, whakapapa, and community converged, a lively hub bridging earth and awa. 

 

Tūpoho, together with neighbouring hapū like Hinengākau and Tamaūpoko, wove themselves into a powerful tribal “plait”—each entrusted with guardianship over a distinct section of the river. This unity earned them collective custodianship of Awa Tupua’s lower reaches. 

 

As the river pulsed with waka traffic and trade, Tūpoho stood steadfast in protecting and perpetuating the spiritual and physical life of the river. For centuries, they upheld the Māori principle that the Whanganui River itself is an ancestor—“Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au” (“I am the river, and the river is me”). 

 

Their legacy isn’t lost to time. Today, structures like Pūtiki Marae—home to the wharenui Te Paku o Te Rangi (Aotea)—serve as living monuments to Tūpoho’s enduring presence. These sacred spaces affirm their role as cultural anchors, maintaining traditions, language, and identity