Tamatea Urehaea
Maori explorer (~15th century) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the explorer. For other uses, see Tamatea.
Tamatea Urehaea also known as Tamatea Pōkai-whenua and Tamatea Pōkai-moana was a Māori ariki (chieftain) of the Tākitimu tribal confederation and ancestor of the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi, who probably lived in the fifteenth century.[1] He is famous as an explorer who circumnavigated both islands of New Zealand. After he was expelled from his base at Kaitaia, he settled in Hawke's Bay, but continued to explore the North Island.
In Ngāti Kahungunu tradition, he is distinguished from his grandfather Tamatea Arikinui who captained the Tākitimu canoe on its journey from Hawaiki to New Zealand. Northland and Tauranga traditions say that they were the same person.[2]