Hello Tikva.
Been on holiday, and my phone would not co-operate, and allow me to comment upon your thread.
Now home, my question is, have you consulted the web pages of the WHAKAPAPA CLUB?
It has been of some help to me, but their forum pages appear to have been more active, in the past.
https://www.whakapapaclub.nz/There is also a crown web site called, Maori Land online, which when you have a few names, can offer info back to the members of the various family groups. The search tool on that site is very good, because when the Maori Land Courts were hearing land claims etc, there was no one standard format, to the way Maori parents choose to record their childrens names, in a written form. Plus many adopted "Christian" names, when being batpised. Therefore all known aka's were listed, and are searchable.
Alan.