Local hapu and the Hauiti Ariki Whakatataare-o-te-rangi encountered the British explorer Captain James Cook in 1769; including Tupaia the Tahitian who accompanied Cook on his voyage around the pacific.
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One of Te Aitanga a Hauiti's more famous marae steeped in Māori history is Te Poho-o-Rawiri of Ngati Oneone situated in Gisborne.
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Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti comprises over fifty hapu: from Te Whanau-a-Te Aotawarirangi the northern hapu Tokomaru Bay to Ngati Oneone the southern hapu Gisborne.