Moana Maniapoto

Birth Name: Moana Maree Maniapoto

Place of Birth: Invercargill, South Island, New Zealand

Date of Birth: 22 June, 1961

Ethnicity:
*father – Māori
*mother – English, Irish, distant Scottish and European Royal

Moana Maniapoto is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, documentary maker, and current affairs presenter. She has been a member of the bands Moana and the Moahunters (1991–1998) and Moana & the Tribe (2002-). She is also known as Moana Maniapoto-Jackson.

Moana is the daughter of Bernadette Maniapoto (née Honywood) and Nepia Tauri Maniapoto. She is affiliated with Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa (Ngāti Pikiao), and Tūhourangi. Moana is a niece of New Zealand rugby union player Manukapua (Manu) Maniapoto. She has a son with her former husband, New Zealand politician and radio personality Willie Jackson; and a daughter with her partner and bandmate Toby Mills.

Moana’s paternal grandfather was Hema Maniapoto (the son of Tawhirau Maniapoto, of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and Te Wakahuia Paerata). Tawhirau was the son of Maniapoto Te Hina Maniapoto. Te Wakahuia was the daughter of Te Tini Te Paerata, the son of Hitiri Paerata chief of Ngāti Raukawa.

Moana’s paternal grandmother was Mamaeroa Hamiora (the daughter of Pohiri Hamiora, of Ngāti Wahiao, Tūhourangi, and Kaihau Te Pere, of Ngāti Pikiao, Te Arawa).

Moana’s maternal grandfather was Thomas Guy Honywood (the son of Guy Honywood and Margaret Bennett Adamson). Moana’s great-grandfather Guy was the son of English parents, Sir Courtenay Honywood, 7th Baronet of Evington, Kent, and Annie Maria Paynter, from Surrey. Moana’s great-grandmother Margaret was the daughter of Alexander Thomas Adamson and Maria Hood/Wood Barnhill.

Sir Courtenay Honywood was the son of Sir John Edward Honywood, 6th Baronet, and of Mary Hughes-Hallett, the daughter of Reverend Charles Hughes-Hallett and Frances Anne Knatchbull. Sir John was the son of Sir John Courtenay Honywood, 5th Baronet Honywood, of Evington, and of Mary Anne Cooper, the daughter of The Rev. William Cooper. Sir John’s parents were first cousins. He was a descendant of Reynold/Reginald II de Courtenay, Seigneur de Courtenay, who was born in Courtenay, France, c. 1140. Moana’s ancestor Sir William Honywood was a member of the English House of Commons in the 17th century. Through her Honywood line, Moana is a distant cousin to Samuel Honywood, an actor known for playing Sebastian Brown in Nanny McPhee, and heir apparent to the Honywood Baronetage.

Moana’s maternal grandmother was Anne Gertrude May Molloy (the daughter of Henry Molloy and Ellenor (Nellie) Connelly). Henry was from County Offaly, Ireland. Ellenor was from Canterbury, New Zealand, and was likely of Scottish or Irish descent.

Sources: Genealogy of Moana Maniapoto (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Moana mentions her father – https://twitter.com/moanatribe

Genealogy of Moana’s paternal grandfather, Hema Maniapoto – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Moana’s paternal great-grandmother, Te Wakahuia Paerata – https://ancestors.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Moana’s paternal grandmother, Mamaeroa Hamiora – https://ancestors.familysearch.org

Moana mentions her paternal grandmother, Mamaeroa Hamiora – https://twitter.com

Genealogy of Moana Maniapoto (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.thepeerage.com

Obituary of Moana’s mother – https://notices.nzherald.co.nz