Ngāti Kurī trace their ancestry to Pōhurihanga, the captain of the waka Kurahaupō.Kurī means dog in Māori.
Te Reo Irirangi o Te Hiku o Te Ika, an iwi radio station, serves Ngāti Kurī and other Muriwhenua tribes of the Far North. It broadcasts a main station on 97.1FM, an urban contemporary station Sunshine FM on 104.3FM and a youth-oriented station Tai FM.