Hawea
The first tribe to settle in the South Island. Chief Taiehu and his axe was Awhioraki. Waka: Kapakitua. A very dark people with thick curly hair and strong white teeth.
Tipuna: Hawea-i-te-raki, the son of the chief Waitaha-Ariki (pg 21 Traditions and Legends of Southern Maori J Beattie.)
Te Rapuwai/Rapuai/Nga ai Tanga a te Puhirere/Te Mano o te Rapuwai
The second tribe to settle in the South Island. Cooper and ginger colored hair but of Polynesian descent.
The Rapuwai people, living at the head of the Ohou lake, in Canterbury. One of the districts they most densely populated is about Lake Kaitangata, in the Otago Province, and that district is sometimes called in consequence “Te Mano-o-te-Rapuwai.” One of their most populous villages there was Te Ika-maru, which is said to have been named after a great chief. A sub-tribe of Rapuwai is said to have been Kati-koko, and an interesting legend is told of these people. They went round to the Sounds and found a huge piece of greenstone in the sea, and set out to drive it round to the Bluff. Three canoes followed it—one on each side, and one behind, and yet it nearly eluded them several times. They nearly got it ashore at Oraka (five miles west of Riverton), but it dodged on till it settled where it is, and it now forms Motupiu (Dog Island, off the Bluff).
Hapu: Kati Koko
Waitaha/Te Kapuwai
The third tribe to settle in the South Island between 1477-1577. Pa at the mouth of Molyneux River, Lake Te Anau, Lake Wakatipu and Oamaru.
Otaraia bears the -name of a Waitaha chief. Waiwera is named after Waiwhero a Waitaha Chief. Te Anau and Aparim-a after chieftainesses.
Not so dark skinned as Hawea and had long straight hair.
Hapu: Kati Rakai
Chief: Rakaihautu
Waka: Te Waka a Raki captained by Te Moretu; Uruao, Te Wakahuruhurumanu, Te Waka o Aoraki.
Kāti Mamoe/Hotu Mamoe
The fourth tribe to settle in the South Island 1577-1677, prior to Kāi Tahu conquering all previous iwi.
Hapu: Katirakai, Katihinekato (Edward Shortland)
Other ancient Iwi
This information is from The oral Traditions of Ngāi Tahu page 17
Ngāti Wairaki
Ngāti Tūatakōkiri
This information is taken from Tikao Talks.
Kahea: An ancient tribe that perhaps Mamoe and Waitaha are offshoots of. Taare Tikao mentions Te Maiharoa was a descendant of Kahea.
Kāti Matamata – pg 42 Tikao Talks. It is briefly mentioned that one person may be living at Port Levy and one in Tuahiwi. Pg 405 of Traditional Lifeways of the Southern Maori by Herries Beattie states the likely whānau of Kāti Matamata
Kahui Tipua: The first inhabitants of the south Island who were said to be giant ogre like people. They were a hapu of the Maeroero Iwi. Tipuna: Tara. Rapuwai conquered them.
Kati Ira: near the top of the south island.
Kui: An ancient race so denominated; they are said to have been a people of short stature who inhabited New Zealand after Maui visited it. Page 42Maori Place Names of Canterbury. H.Beattie.
Maeroero/Maeroero-Rapuwai: Lived in the bush and would fish with their finger nails in the shallow bays. They would warn Maori not to come too close. They played their flutes near Akaroa. Descendants of Rapuwai. Lived on the Banks Peninsula til the arrival of the Pakeha.
Maoriori: According to Taare Tikao, this Iwi was in the South Island for about 100 generations before Hawea. There were two hapu of this tribe called Kui/Kae and Tutumaiao.
Patupairehe: Would play their flutes and their flashing lights could be seen on the mudflaps. Lived on the Banks Pensinsul til the arrival of the Pakeha.
Pounemu were an ancient tribe who fled Hawaiki from two other tribes Hoaka (Grindstone) and Mata (flint). All three tribes were in the South Island. Pounemu waka is the Tairea. Hoaka and Mata iwi came in the Araiteuru waka.
Tini-o-te-para-rakau the iwi of Wahie-roa, the father of Rata.
Kati Raka (pg 21 Traditions and Legends of Southern Maori J Beattie.)
Pohatu-parimurimu (pg 21 Traditions and Legends of Southern Maori J Beattie.)
Te Aruhe-taratara (pg 21 Traditions and Legends of Southern Maori J Beattie.)
Te Raupo-mkanu (pg 21 Traditions and Legends of Southern Maori J Beattie.)
Te Rakau-tipu (pg 21 Traditions and Legends of Southern Maori J Beattie.)
Te Rakau-hape (pg 21 Traditions and Legends of Southern Maori J Beattie.)
Kahui Roko; Hapū: Roko tuatahi, Roko-i-tua, Roko-i-pae, Roko-i-te-aniwaaniwa, Roko-i-he-haeata. Chief: O-roko-i-te-ata (pg 21 Traditions and Legends of Southern Maori J Beattie.)