Te Aitu-o-te-rangi Jury ( 1820–1854) was a New Zealand tribal founding mother, landowner and farmer. Of
Māori descent, she identified with the
Ngati Kahungunu iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...
. Her parents were Te Whatahoronui and his first wife, Aromea,
who was the sister of
Nuku-pewapewa.
She was captured by the chief Te Rauparaha, who attacked her ''
pā'' in Wairarapa. He took her to Kapiti Island, because of her high born status and because of her beauty he kept her as a wife. A Pākehā whaler arrived at the island - John Milsome Jury - and fell in love with Te Aitu, as she did with him. They fled the island together by boat, they rowed all the way back to Wairararapa, not long after, Te Rauparaha started his chase but could not catch the couple. She married the Englishman and started a family with him in the Wairarapa region which is within the borders of her tribal land. Her eldest child was
Hoani Te Whatahoro Jury
Hoani Turi Te Whatahoro Jury (4 February 1841–26 September 1923) was a New Zealand Ngāti Kahungunu scholar, recorder and interpreter. He was born in Wairarapa, New Zealand on 4 February 1841. His mother was Te Aitu-o-te-rangi Jury and his f ...
who was a prominent political leader involved in the creation of the first Tangata Whenua inclusive parliament.
References
1854 deaths
New Zealand farmers
New Zealand women farmers
Ngāti Kahungunu people
New Zealand Māori farmers
Year of birth uncertain
{{Māori-bio-stub