Te Ruki Kawiti (1770s – 5 May 1854) was a prominent
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
rangatira
In Māori culture, () are tribal chiefs, the hereditary Māori leaders of a hapū. Ideally, rangatira were people of great practical wisdom who held authority () on behalf of the tribe and maintained boundaries between a tribe's land and that ...
(chief). He and
Hōne Heke
Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807/1808 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he w ...
successfully fought the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
in the
Flagstaff War
The Flagstaff War, also known as Heke's War, Hōne Heke's Rebellion and the Northern War, was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of Hō ...
in 1845–46.
[ Belich, James. ''The New Zealand Wars''. (Penguin Books, 1986)]
He traced descent from
Rāhiri Rāhiri (estimated to have lived sometime between 1475-1585) is the ''tūpuna'' (ancestor) of Ngāpuhi of Northland and Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu of the Hauraki District in New Zealand. The Ngāpuhi today is the largest Māori '' iwi'' (tribe) in N ...
and Nukutawhiti of the ''
Ngātokimatawhaorua
In Māori tradition, ''Ngātokimatawhaorua'' or Matawhaorua was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand.
Matawhaorua was the canoe of Kupe, the Polynesian discoverer of the islands ...
'' canoe, the ancestors of the
Ngāpuhi
Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei.
According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...
.
He was born in the north of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
into the
Ngāti Hine
Ngāti Hine is an iwi with a rohe in Northland, New Zealand. It is part of the wider Ngāpuhi iwi.
Its rohe (tribal area) covers the areas of Waiomio, Kawakawa, Taumarere, Moerewa, Ruapekapeka, Motatau, Waimahae, Towai, Akeramaa, Pakara ...
hapū
In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or " clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally op ...
, one of the subtribes of the Ngāpuhi. From his youth he was trained in leadership and warfare by
Hongi Hika
Hongi Hika ( – 6 March 1828) was a New Zealand Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the iwi of Ngāpuhi. He was a pivotal figure in the early years of regular European contact and settlement in New Zealand. As one of the first Māor ...
.
He was present at the
Battle of Moremonui
The battle of Moremonui was fought between Ngāti Whātua and Ngāpuhi, two Māori '' iwi'' (tribes), in northern New Zealand in either 1807 or 1808. The Ngāpuhi force had a few muskets, making this the first occasion Māori used muskets in wa ...
in 1807 or 1808 when many Ngāpuhi were slaughtered by
Ngāti Whātua
Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, ...
. Almost twenty years later, in 1825, he was at the
Battle of Te Ika-a-ranga-nui when it was Ngāpuhi's turn to slaughter Ngāti Whātua in an act of
''utu'', or revenge. He took a number of Ngāti Whātua captive and refused to hand them over to Hongi Hika, preferring instead to return them to their own people to whom he was related.
Treaty of Waitangi
Kawiti initially refused to sign the
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...
on 6 February 1840, believing that it would inevitably lead to further European encroachment and the loss of Māori land. However he eventually yielded to pressure from his own people and signed the Treaty in May 1840, right at the top, above those chiefs who had signed earlier.
However he soon grew disenchanted with British law and supported Hōne Heke in his protests against British rule.
Hōne Heke sought support from Kawiti and other leaders of the
Ngāpuhi
Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei.
According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...
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, ...
by the conveying of ‘te ngākau’, the custom observed by those who sought help to settle a tribal grievance.
Battle of Kororāreka
Hōne Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti worked out the plan to draw the Colonial forces into battle, with the opening provocations focusing on the flagstaff on
Maiki Hill at the north end
Kororāreka
Russell, known as Kororāreka in the early 19th century, was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. It is situated in the Bay of Islands, in the far north of the North Island.
History and culture
Māori settl ...
.
When in March 1845 Heke cut down the flag pole at
Kororāreka
Russell, known as Kororāreka in the early 19th century, was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. It is situated in the Bay of Islands, in the far north of the North Island.
History and culture
Māori settl ...
for the fourth time, thereby initiating the Flagstaff War, Kawiti, now in his seventies, created a diversion by attacking the town.
The Māori warriors followed their chief and would fight in separate groups;
however Kawiti and Heke co-ordinated their tactics at each battle. The conduct of the Flagstaff War appears to follow a strategy of drawing the Colonial forces into attacking a fortified pā, from which the warriors could fight from a strong defensive position that was secure from cannon fire. Kawiti was the senior rangatira and appears to have had a key role in the strategic decisions as to the design of the strengthened defences of Pene Taui's
pā at
Ōhaeawai
Ōhaeawai is a small village at the junction of State Highway 1 and State Highway 12 in the Far North District of New Zealand, some from Auckland. The town of Kaikohe is to the west, and the Bay of Islands is a short drive to the east.
The N ...
and the design and construction of the new pā that was built at
Ruapekapeka
Ruapekapeka, a pā southeast of Kawakawa in the Northland Region of New Zealand, is one of the largest and most complex pā in New Zealand; Ngāpuhi designed it specifically to counter the cannon of British forces.
The earthworks can still be ...
to engage the British forces.
Battle of the sticks
After the
Battle of Kororāreka
The Battle of Kororāreka, or the Burning of Kororāreka, on 11 March 1845, was an engagement of the Flagstaff War in New Zealand. Following the establishment of British control of the islands, war broke out with a small group of the native popul ...
, Heke and Kawiti and the warriors travelled inland to
Lake Ōmāpere
Lake Ōmāpere is the largest lake in the Northland Region of New Zealand. It is located to the North of Kaikohe.
The lake sits within the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field. The lake was formed when an ancient lava flow blocked a valley, form ...
near to
Kaikohe
Kaikohe is the seat of the Far North District of New Zealand, situated on State Highway 12 about 260 km from Auckland. It is the largest inland town and highest community above sea level in the Northland Region. With a population of over ...
some , or two days travel, from the
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...
.
Tamati Waka Nene built a pā close to Lake Ōmāpere. Heke's pā named Puketutu, was away, while it is sometimes named as "Te Mawhe" however the hill of that name is some distance to the north-east.
In April 1845, during the time that the colonial forces were gathering in the Bay of Islands, the warriors of Heke and Nene fought many skirmishes on the small hill named Taumata-Karamu that was between the two pās and on open country between
Okaihau and
Te Ahuahu
Te Ahuahu is a 373 m high basaltic scoria cone, in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in New Zealand.
It was the site of Hone Heke's pā that was the scene of the Battle of Te Ahuahu during the Flagstaff War
The Flagstaff War, als ...
.
Heke's force numbered about three hundred men; Kawiti joined Heke towards the end of April with another hundred and fifty warriors. Among Kawiti's supporters was his nephew Reweti Maika.
Opposing Heke and Kawiti were about four hundred warriors that supported Tamati Waka Nene including the chiefs, Makoare Te Taonui and his son
Aperahama Taonui
Aperahama Taonui (died 23 September 1882) was a New Zealand tribal leader, prophet, historian, teacher and assessor. He was a leader of the Te Popoto hapū of the Ngāpuhi iwi. He was born in Whangaroa, Northland Region, Northland, probably in the ...
, Mohi Tawhai, Arama Karaka Pi, and
Nōpera Panakareao
Nōpera Panakareao (? – 13 April 1856) was a New Zealand tribal leader, evangelist and assessor. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Te Rarawa iwi.
Nōpera lived at Kaitaia. He became a friend of William Gilbert Puckey, the son of William ...
.
Attack on Heke's Pā at Puketutu
The first major engagement of the Flagstaff War was the
attack on Heke's Pā at Puketutu in May 1845 by the colonial forces led by Lt Col
William Hulme
William Hulme (c.1631 – 1691) was an English lawyer and landowner from Lancashire responsible for the creation of the Hulme Trust (also known as Hulme's Charity).
Early life
The Hulme family's pedigree was recorded by the Heralds in a Vi ...
.
While Heke occupied the
pā itself, Kawiti and his warriors arrived at the battle and engaged with the Colonial forces in the scrub and gullies around the pā. They successfully prevented the Colonial forces from launching a coordinated attack on the pā but at quite a heavy cost in casualties. The Colonial forces were unable to overcome the defences of the pā and retreated back to the
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...
.
Battle of Te Ahuahu
The next major engagement was the
Battle of Te Ahuahu.
The contemporary European accounts of the battle describe it as being fought on 12 June 1845 nearby
Te Ahuahu
Te Ahuahu is a 373 m high basaltic scoria cone, in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in New Zealand.
It was the site of Hone Heke's pā that was the scene of the Battle of Te Ahuahu during the Flagstaff War
The Flagstaff War, als ...
and that it involve only the warriors of
Hōne Heke
Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807/1808 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he w ...
fighting the warriors of
Tāmati Wāka Nene
Tāmati Wāka Nene (1780s – 4 August 1871) was a Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) who fought as an ally of the British in the Flagstaff War of 1845–46.
Origin and mana
Tāmati Wāka Nene from the ''Dictionary of New Zea ...
. However, there are no detailed accounts of the action;
Hugh Carleton
Hugh Francis Carleton (3 July 1810 – 14 July 1890) was New Zealand's first member of parliament.
Early life
Carleton was born in 1810. He was the son of Francis Carleton (1780–1870) and Charlotte Margaretta Molyneux-Montgomerie (d. 1874). ...
(1874) mentions
Thomas Walker was a name adopted by Tāmati Wāka Nene. In this battle Nene's warriors carried the day. Heke was severely wounded and did not rejoin the conflict until some months later, at the closing phase of the Battle of
Ruapekapeka
Ruapekapeka, a pā southeast of Kawakawa in the Northland Region of New Zealand, is one of the largest and most complex pā in New Zealand; Ngāpuhi designed it specifically to counter the cannon of British forces.
The earthworks can still be ...
. On this account of the early engagements of the Flagstaff War, Kawiti appears to have made the better strategic decisions as to which battles to fight and which not to fight.
Battle of Ōhaeawai
A debate occurred between Kawiti and the Ngatirangi chief Pene Taui as to the site of the next battle; Kawiti eventually agreed to the request to fortify Pene Taui's pā at
Ōhaeawai
Ōhaeawai is a small village at the junction of State Highway 1 and State Highway 12 in the Far North District of New Zealand, some from Auckland. The town of Kaikohe is to the west, and the Bay of Islands is a short drive to the east.
The N ...
.
The Colonial forces arrived before the Ōhaeawai Pā on 23 June and established a camp about away. On the summit of a nearby hill (Puketapu) they built a four gun battery. They opened fire next day and continued until dark but did very little damage to the palisade. The next day the guns were brought to within of the pā. The bombardment continued for another two days but still did very little damage. Partly this was due to the elasticity of the flax covering the palisade but the main fault was a failure to concentrate the cannon fire on one area of the defences.
After two days of bombardment without effecting a breach, Lieutenant Colonel Despard ordered a frontal assault. He was, with difficulty, persuaded to postpone this pending the arrival of a 32-pound
naval gun
Naval artillery is artillery mounted on a warship, originally used only for naval warfare and then subsequently used for shore bombardment and anti-aircraft roles. The term generally refers to tube-launched projectile-firing weapons and excludes ...
which came the next day, 1 July. However an unexpected sortie from the pā resulted in the temporary occupation of the knoll on which
Tāmati Wāka Nene
Tāmati Wāka Nene (1780s – 4 August 1871) was a Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) who fought as an ally of the British in the Flagstaff War of 1845–46.
Origin and mana
Tāmati Wāka Nene from the ''Dictionary of New Zea ...
had his camp and the capture of Nene's colours – the
Union Flag
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
. The Union Flag was carried into the pā. There it was hoisted, upside down, and at half-mast high, below the Māori flag, which was a Kākahu (Māori cloak).
This insulting display of the Union Jack was the cause of the disaster which ensued.
Infuriated by the insult to the
Union Jack
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
, Despard ordered an assault upon the pā the same day. The attack was directed to the section of the pā where the angle of the palisade allowed a double flank from which the defenders of the pā could fire at the attackers; the attack was a reckless endeavour.
The British persisted in their attempts to storm the unbreached palisades and five to seven minutes later 33 were dead and 66 injured.
Battle of Ruapekapeka
Towards the end of 1845 the British launched a major expedition against Kawiti's new pā at
Ruapekapeka
Ruapekapeka, a pā southeast of Kawakawa in the Northland Region of New Zealand, is one of the largest and most complex pā in New Zealand; Ngāpuhi designed it specifically to counter the cannon of British forces.
The earthworks can still be ...
. It took two weeks to bring the heavy guns into range of the pā, they started the cannon bombardment on 27 December 1845. The siege continued for some two weeks with enough patrols and probes from the pā to keep everyone alert. Then, early in the morning of Sunday, 11 January 1846, William Walker Turau, the brother of
Eruera Maihi Patuone
Eruera Maihi Patuone (c.1764 – 19 September 1872) was a Māori rangatira (chief), the son of the Ngāti Hao chief Tapua and his wife Te Kawehau. His exact birth year is not known, but it is estimated that he was at least 108 years old when he ...
, discovered that the pā appeared to have been abandoned;
although Te Ruki Kawiti and a few of his warriors remained behind, and appeared to have been caught unaware by the British assault.
Fighting took place behind the pā and most casualties occurred in this phase of the battle.
The reason why the defenders appeared to have abandoned but then re-entered the pā is the subject of continuing debate. It was later suggested that most of the Māori had been at church, many of them were devout Christians.
Knowing that their opponents, the British, were also Christians they had not expected an attack on a Sunday.
It was Māori custom that the place of a battle where blood was spilt became
tapu so that the Ngāpuhi left Ruapekapeka Pā.
After the battle Kawiti and his warriors, carrying their dead, travelled some four miles north-west to
Waiomio, the ancestral home of the
Ngāti Hine
Ngāti Hine is an iwi with a rohe in Northland, New Zealand. It is part of the wider Ngāpuhi iwi.
Its rohe (tribal area) covers the areas of Waiomio, Kawakawa, Taumarere, Moerewa, Ruapekapeka, Motatau, Waimahae, Towai, Akeramaa, Pakara ...
.
After the battle of Ruapekapeka Kawiti expressed the will to continue to fight,
however Kawiti and Heke made it known that they would end the rebellion if the Colonial forces would leave the Ngāpuhi land.
Tāmati Wāka Nene
Tāmati Wāka Nene (1780s – 4 August 1871) was a Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) who fought as an ally of the British in the Flagstaff War of 1845–46.
Origin and mana
Tāmati Wāka Nene from the ''Dictionary of New Zea ...
acted as the intermediary in the negotiations, with Nene persuading the Governor to accept the terms of Kawiti and Heke – that they were to be unconditionally pardoned for their rebellion.
Aftermath of the Flagstaff War
After the conclusion of the
Flagstaff War
The Flagstaff War, also known as Heke's War, Hōne Heke's Rebellion and the Northern War, was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of Hō ...
Kawiti went to live near
Henry Williams Henry Williams may refer to:
Politicians
* Henry Williams (activist) (born 2000), chief of staff of the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign
* Henry Williams (MP for Northamptonshire) (died 1558), Member of Parliament (MP) for Northamptonshire ...
at
Pakaraka
Pakaraka is a settlement in Northland, New Zealand, at the junction of State Highway 1 and 10, in the district the Ngāpuhi tribe called Tai-a-mai.
Demographics
Pakaraka statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of wit ...
, and was baptised by Williams in 1853.
He succumbed to measles on 5 May 1854 at Otaikumikumi, close to Waiomio which is south of
Kawakawa.
The meeting house and marae complex at Waiomio Caves are his memorial.
Legacy of Kawiti and the fifth flagpole at Kororāreka
At the conclusion of the
Flagstaff War
The Flagstaff War, also known as Heke's War, Hōne Heke's Rebellion and the Northern War, was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of Hō ...
, the
Hokianga
The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand.
The original name, still used by local Māori, is ' ...
and the
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...
region was nominally under British influence; the fact that the government's flag was not re-erected was symbolically very significant. Such significance was not lost on
Henry Williams Henry Williams may refer to:
Politicians
* Henry Williams (activist) (born 2000), chief of staff of the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign
* Henry Williams (MP for Northamptonshire) (died 1558), Member of Parliament (MP) for Northamptonshire ...
, who, writing to
E. G. Marsh on 28 May 1846, stated that "the flag-staff in the Bay is still prostrate, and the natives here rule. These are humiliating facts to the proud Englishman, many of whom thought they could govern by a mere name."
[James Belich, The New Zealand Wars, p. 70]
Some argue that the Flagstaff War can be considered an inconclusive stalemate, as both sides wished the war to end, both gained somewhat from the fighting, and the situation more or less remained the same as it was before the outbreak of hostilities.
[Ian McGibbon, (2001) The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History, p. 373] The opinion of Henry Williams, who had counseled Kawiti to abandon the rebellion, was that the
Ngāpuhi
Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei.
According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...
and the colonial government both agreed that each should let the other alone, so that Kawiti achieved peace on his terms. Henry Williams wrote to his son-in-law
Hugh Carleton
Hugh Francis Carleton (3 July 1810 – 14 July 1890) was New Zealand's first member of parliament.
Early life
Carleton was born in 1810. He was the son of Francis Carleton (1780–1870) and Charlotte Margaretta Molyneux-Montgomerie (d. 1874). ...
on 13 March 1854 in response to an earlier comment by Carleton as to the consequences of Kawiti having made peace with
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Grey
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
:
Upon the death of Kawiti, his son
Maihi Paraone Kawiti, who had been a missionary teacher at
Mangakahia, succeeded Kawiti as leader of the Ngāti Hine
hapū
In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or " clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally op ...
.
[Rogers, Lawrence M., (1973) ''Te Wiremu: A Biography of Henry Williams'', Pegasus Press, pp. 296–97] Maihi Paraone Kawiti was a supporter of te ture (the law) and te whakapono (the gospel).
Deputations came to Maihi Paraone Kawiti from the
Taranaki
Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...
and
Waikato
Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...
iwi asking the Ngāpuhi to join the
Māori King Movement
The Māori King Movement, called the in Māori, is a movement that arose among some of the Māori (tribes) of New Zealand in the central North Island in the 1850s, to establish a role similar in status to that of the monarch of the British c ...
; the reply from Maihi Paraone Kawiti was that the Ngāpuhi had no desire for a ‘Māori Kingi’ as
‘Kuini Wikitoria’ was their ‘Kingi'.
Maihi Paraone Kawiti, as a signal to Governor
Thomas Gore Browne
Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne, (3 July 1807 – 17 April 1887) was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda.
Early life
Browne was born o ...
that he did not follow his father's path, arranged for the fifth flagpole to be erected at Kororāreka; this occurred in January 1858 with the flag being named Whakakotahitanga, "being at one with the Queen."
As a further symbolic act, the 400 Ngāpuhi warriors involved in preparing and erecting the flagpole were selected from the ‘rebel’ forces of Kawiti and Heke – that is, Ngāpuhi from the
hapū
In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or " clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally op ...
of
Tāmati Wāka Nene
Tāmati Wāka Nene (1780s – 4 August 1871) was a Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) who fought as an ally of the British in the Flagstaff War of 1845–46.
Origin and mana
Tāmati Wāka Nene from the ''Dictionary of New Zea ...
(who had fought as allies of the British forces during the Flagstaff War), observed, but did not participate in the erection of the fifth flagpole. The restoration of the flagpole was presented by Maihi Paraone Kawiti as a voluntary act on the part of the Ngāpuhi that had cut it down in 1845, and they would not allow any other to render any assistance in this work.
The legacy of Kawiti's rebellion during the Flagstaff War was that during the time of
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Grey
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
and Governor
Thomas Gore Browne
Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne, (3 July 1807 – 17 April 1887) was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda.
Early life
Browne was born o ...
, the colonial administrators were obliged to take account of opinions of the Ngāpuhi before taking actions in the Hokianga and Bay of Islands. The continuing symbolism of the fifth flagpole at
Kororāreka
Russell, known as Kororāreka in the early 19th century, was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. It is situated in the Bay of Islands, in the far north of the North Island.
History and culture
Māori settl ...
is that it exists because of the goodwill of the Ngāpuhi.
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kawiti, Te Ruki
1770s births
1854 deaths
Military leaders of the New Zealand Wars
Signatories of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
Musket Wars
Ngāti Hine people
Flagstaff War