. ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁M ā ori ▁p ā ▁( fort ) ▁ ▁The ▁M ā ori ▁name ▁Ma ung ak iek ie ▁means ▁" mount ain ▁of ▁the ▁k iek ie ▁v ine ". ▁M ā ori ▁also ▁knew ▁it ▁as ▁" t ō t ara ▁that ▁stands ▁alone ". ▁The ▁mountain ▁and ▁its ▁surr ounds ▁were ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁Te ▁W ai ▁ ō ▁H ua ▁tribe ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 7 0 0 s ▁and ▁probably ▁before ▁that ▁time . ▁Other ▁M ā ori ▁tribes ▁in ▁the ▁A uck land ▁area ▁can ▁also ▁trace ▁their ▁ancest ry ▁to ▁the ▁mountain . ▁ ▁Ma ung ak iek ie ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁and ▁most ▁important ▁M ā ori ▁p ā ▁in ▁pre - Europe an ▁times . ▁The ▁cone ▁and ▁its ▁surr ound ings ▁are ▁estimated ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁N ga ▁Mar ama ▁chief ▁Ki wi ▁Tam aki ▁held ▁the ▁pa ▁and ▁used ▁its ▁strateg ic ▁pla cement ▁to ▁exact ▁t ribute ▁from ▁trav ellers ▁passing ▁from ▁North land ▁to ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁Island ▁through ▁the ▁rich ▁is th mus . ▁Its ▁position ▁between ▁the ▁Wa item at ā ▁Har bour ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁( open ing ▁upon ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean ) ▁and ▁the ▁Man uk au ▁Har bour ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁( open ing ▁onto ▁the ▁Tas man ▁Sea ) ▁offered ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁sea fo od ▁from