Ōtākou

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Ko Pukekura, ko Te Atua o Taiehu kā mauka
Ko Ōtākou te awa
Ko Ōtākou te marae
Ko Tamatea te whare tupuna
Ko Hakuiao te whare kai

Ōtākou Runaka is near the end of Otago Peninsula, Dunedin. Traditionally, the Otago Harbour has been of significant importance as a food source for the Ōtākou people and in particular, the cockle or tuaki as they are locally known.

Tuaki have been an important food source for Muaupoko (Otago Peninsula) Maori for generations. The whole area was once speckled with many kaik (villages) and Pukekura (Taiaroa Head) was an important fortified pa.

Ōtākou is ‘home’ to Waitaha, Rapuwai, Kāti Hawea and Kāti Mamoe; where in the early 19th century, Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha had blended into a single tribal entity. Of significant importance is Ōtākou marae was one of the places where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Those who signed were descended from ancestors of all three tribes.