'......Older Iwi still occupied the [whole of the South] Island before the southern migrations of Ngai Tahu and [Ngati] Mamoe. These people were collectively known to Ngai Tahu as Waitaha......'

The greatest and most influential tribe amongst the Waitaha people was the Hawea, who originated in Hawea-i-te-raki, the son of the Chief Waitaha-ariki. They subsequently intermarried with Kati Mamoe, and their descendants are with us today.  One of my informants termed them 'the aristocrats of Waitaha'.  Another said: 'The Hawea were the Iwi (tribe) of Waitaha, and then Waitaha became an iwi of Kati Mamoe'.  The Hawea (subtribe) has survived many vicissitudes, and what is left of them are a puzzling mixture of Waitaha, Kati Mamoe and Kai Tahu. Herries Beattie - Traditions of The Waitaha Tribe. pp131-132.

Among the list of questions submitted to the oldest surviving southern Maoris were these two: - Do you know of any fights between Rapuwai and Waitaha, and were there any fights between Waitaha and Kati Mamoe?.

The answers ran as follows: - "I have never heard of any fights between Te Rapuwai, Waitaha and Kati Mamoe.  They were friends and it was only when Kai Tahu came south that dissension's arose".  "The Waitaha , Rapuwai and Kati Mamoe lived in peace, and then Kai Tahu bought fighting in".  "Te Mano o te Rapuwai merged with Waitaha and then Waitaha with Kati Mamoe by intermarriage, and then Kai Tahu came along and bought war in". A Question of Fighting. p134.

One native told me that after the Kai Tahu had pressed the Kati Mamoe back and back from Canterbury into Murihiku [Southland], and peace was made, a post was erected at Poupoutunoa [Clinton] to mark the tribal boundary. The Kai Tahu were supposed to have no territorial rights beyond that. p97

........It must not be thought that when Kai Tahu and Kati Mamoe ceased fighting each other that they lived in perfect trust together. There was always a certain amount of latent suspicion. An aged Kati Mamoe tells me that he remembers his Grandfather saying that when he went into a place where Kai Tahu were he always carried weapons concealed beneath his mats lest any of the ancient feuds should break out suddenly.

"One Maori asserted positively and emphatically that the Kati Mamoe chiefs were never finally vanquished, and that in proof of this produced a booklet published by the South Island Maoris in 1908, in which are urged the claims of the Kai Tahu and Kati Mamoe in connection with the sales of their land to the white people. Beattie, H. Traditions & Legends. Alleged Extinction of Kati Mamoe. p95

Speaking of the sale of the Otakou block to the Pakeha in 1844, one of my informants remarked that it was a noticeable fact that the Kai Tahu sold the land and the Kati Mamoe preserved the reserves. After the [forced] amalgamation of the two tribes, "Ahi Kaa Roa" [longest fire burning] was the Maori claim to ground. The Kati Mamoe were so secure in their Papatipu [Ancestral lands] that they never sold their home and cultivation's at Otakou, Maitapapa and Maranuku, and have it still. Whilst Tuhawaiki and Taiaroa who had plenty of land elsewhere were selling their interest in the Otakou block, Karetai and the other Kati Mamoes got pieces reserved, and now by the irony of fate the Kai Tahu who sold their land, now live largely on reserves preserved for Kati Mamoe. The process of coming to dwell on ground not theirs by right was called Whaka noho [squatting]........