Tohitapu also known as Tohi or Toi-Tapu (died 14 July 1833) was a

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) of the

Te Roroa Te Roroa is a Māori iwi from the region between the Kaipara Harbour and the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. They are part of the Ngāti Whātua confederation of tribes. In the early 19th century Te Roroa fought a series of wars wit ...

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, an ...

(tribe) of Northland, New Zealand, and a

tohunga In the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, a tohunga (tōhuka in Southern Māori dialect) is an expert practitioner of any skill or art, either religious or otherwise. Tohunga include expert priests, healers, navigators, carvers, builders, teache ...

and

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 ...

warrior. An account told by a

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, ...

informant to British ethnographer John White of the visit of

Marion du Fresne Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne (22 May 1724 – 12 June 1772) was a French privateer, East India captain and explorer. The expedition he led to find the hypothetical ''Terra Australis'' in 1771 made important geographic discoveries in the sout ...

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 ...

1772 Events January–March * January 10 – Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor of India, makes a triumphant return to Delhi 15 years after having been forced to flee. * January 17 – Johann Friedrich Struensee and Queen Carolin ...

describes Tohitapu as participating in the massacre when du Fresne and 26 men of his crew were killed and cannibalised.

Spiritual leader

As a Tohunga o Tumatauenga (expert in weapons or war party chaplain) he was acknowledged by the Ngāpuhi of the

as a spiritual leader who possessed the ability of communicating between the spiritual and temporal realms through

karakia Karakia are Māori incantations and prayers, used to invoke spiritual guidance and protection. With the nineteenth-century introduction of Christianity to New Zealand, Māori adopted (or wrote new) karakia to acknowledge the new faith. Moder ...

(prayers), pātere (chants) or performing waiata (songs). On 28 November 1832, the Revd. Alfred Brown witnessed Tohitapu practicing as a Tohunga to foresee the success of Tītore’s second muru (war expedition)''"Traditional Maori Concepts, Muru"'' Ministry of Justice website
/ref> to

Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...

, which followed the

Girls' War The Girls’ War is the name given to fighting on the beach at Russell, New Zealand, then known as Kororāreka in March, 1830 between the northern and southern hapū (subtribe) within the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe). The cause The Girls' War is so named ...

in the Bay of Islands.Smith, S. Percy – Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century (Christchurch 1910) page 450

at New Zealand Electronic Text Centre, NZETC

The gate incident

Tohitapu lived at Te Haumi and was a frequent visitor to the Revd.

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 ( ...

Paihia Paihia is the main tourist town in the Bay of Islands in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is 60 kilometres north of Whangārei, located close to the historic towns of Russell and Kerikeri. Missionary Henry William ...

. Although there occurred miss-understandings and several confrontations between them. One of the most severe was the confrontation on 12 January 1824, which was witnessed by other chiefs. The incident began when Tohitapu visited the mission. As the gate was shut, Tohitapu jumped over the fence. Williams demanded that Tohitapu enter the mission using the gate. Tohitapu was a chief and a

, skilled in the magic known as

makutu ''Mākutu'' in the Māori language of New Zealand means "witchcraft", "sorcery", "to bewitch"; and also a "spell or incantation". It may also be described as a belief in malignant occult powers possessed by certain people. An October 2007 māk ...

. Tohitapu was offended by William's demand and began a threatening

haka Haka (; plural ''haka'', in both Māori and English) are a variety of ceremonial performance art in Māori culture. It is often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted or chanted accompani ...

flourishing his

mere Mere may refer to: Places * Mere, Belgium, a village in East Flanders * Mere, Cheshire, England * Mere, Wiltshire, England People * Mere Broughton (1938–2016), New Zealand Māori language activist and unionist * Mere Smith, American televisi ...

and

taiaha A taiaha () is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand; a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with efficient footwork on the part of the wielder. Taiaha a ...

. Williams faced down this challenge. Tohitapu then seized a pot, which he claimed as compensation for hurting his foot in jumping over the fence, whereupon Williams seized the pot from Tohitapu. The incidence continued through the night during which Tohitapu began a

incantation An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremo ...

of bewitchment. Williams had no fear of the karakia. The next morning Tohitapu and Williams reconciled their differences, although the failure of the karakia to have any effect on Henry Williams reinforced his

mana According to Melanesian and Polynesian mythology, ''mana'' is a supernatural force that permeates the universe. Anyone or anything can have ''mana''. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being a ...

and created doubt among the Ngāpuhi as to the powers of a Tohunga. Tohitapu remained a supporter of Williams and the mission at Paihia. In 1829, Tohitapu came to the assistance of the CMS missionaries when the action of one of the Māori assistants of the mission damaged part of one of Te Koki’s houses, which was a serious offence against Māori custom. Te Koki was the principal chief of the Ngāpuhi at Paihia, uncle of

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 Māori l ...

, brother to Tuhikura, of

Ngāti Rehua 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, an ...

, and husband of

Ana Hamu Ana Hamu was a Māori people, Māori woman of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) in northern New Zealand. She was a woman of high rank and the owner of the land occupied by the New Zealand Church Missionary Society, Church Missionary Society (CMS) at Paihia. ...

. Tohitapu accepted changes that followed from the work of the CMS missionaries. In March 1828, Tohitapu, Henry Williams and

George Clarke George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736. Life The son of Sir William Clarke ...

were present at fighting occurring between the Ngāpuhi and Te Mahurehure hapu (subtribe). Tohitapu addressed the Ngāpuhi and ordered that no fighting would take place the next day as it was a

Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...

. The Revd A. N. Brown reported in his journal of August 1831 that Tohitapu choose to apply a less severe punishment to a slave, when the penalty under Māori custom was usually death.

As a mediator

Tohitapu also engaged in mediation of conflicts between Ngāpuhi chiefs. The death of Tiki, a son of

Pōmare I Pōmare I (c. 1753 – September 3, 1803) (fully in old orthography: Tu-nui-ea-i-te-atua-i-Tarahoi Vaira'atoa Taina Pōmare I; also known as Tu or Tinah or Outu, or more formally as Tu-nui-e-a'a-i-te-atua) was the unifier and first king of T ...

(also called Whetoi) and the subsequent death of

Te Whareumu Te Whareumu (died 1828) was the ariki and warrior chief of Ngāti Manu, a hapū within the Ngāpuhi iwi based in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. Te Whareumu was the most important chief in the Kororakeka area in his day. He was a warrior chi ...

in 1828 threw 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 ...

into a state of uncertainty as the Ngāpuhi chiefs debated whether revenge was necessary following the death of a chief. Henry Williams, Richard Davis and Tohitapu mediated between the combatants. As the chiefs did not want to escalate the fighting, a peaceful resolution was achieved. During the

in March 1830, Tohitapu sought the assistance of the CMS missionaries to mediated between the combatants. In December 1831, Tohitapu requested that the CMS missionaries intervene to stop the fighting 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 ...

between the warriors of Tītore and Tareha.

Tohitapu

The journals of the

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...

(CMS) missionaries describe Tohitapu as a person of high intelligence and considerable

among the

and

. The Revd.

said “he is a very important person in his way, though our good folks generally cannot manage him”. Tohitapu did not renounce his status as a Tohunga and warrior or become a Christian. From January 1832 until late July 1832 Tohitapu was part of the muru, or war expedition, that Tītore and Ngāpuhi warriors made to

, which followed the

. In February 1833, Tohitapu joined the second muru led by Tītore with

Te Rarawa Te Rarawa is a Māori iwi of Northland, New Zealand. The iwi is one of five Muriwhenua iwi of the far north of the North Island. Rūnanga and marae Te Rarawa has 23 foundation marae: *Korou Kore Marae, '' Ahipara'', represents the hapū of Ng� ...

warriors, allies of the Ngāpuhi, from the North Cape back to Tauranga to continue the war expedition.Proceedings of the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East, (1834) vol 5, page 263 Henry Williams accompanied both expeditions in an attempt to bring them to a peaceful conclusion. Tohitapu died in the Bay of Islands on 14 July 1833.Smith, S. Percy – Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century (Christchurch 1910) page 458
online
at New Zealand Electronic Text Centre, NZETC On 17 January 1834, CMS missionaries went to Wangai, a settlement south-east of Paihia, to attend the funeral feast held at the hahunga (disinterment and bone cleansing ceremony) of the bones of Tohitapu.

Literature and sources

* (2010) - ''Cannibal Jack: The Life & Times of Jacky Marmon, a Pakeha-Maori'', Penguin Books, New Zealand * (1856) - ''Brief Memorials of an Only Son'' (2nd ed.

from

Early New Zealand Books Early New Zealand Books (ENZB) is a project from the library of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, launched in 2005, that aims at providing keyword-searchable text of significant books published about New Zealand in the first two-thirds of ...

(ENZB). * (1874) - ''The life of Henry Williams, Archdeacon of Waimate'', Volume I. Auckland NZ.
Online available
from

(ENZB). * (2011) - ''Te Wiremu - Henry Williams: Early Years in the North'', Huia Publishers, New Zealand * (2004) - ''Letters from the Bay of Islands'', Sutton Publishing Limited, United Kingdom; (Hardcover). Penguin Books, New Zealand, (Paperback) * (1973) - ''Te Wiremu: A Biography of Henry Williams'', Christchurch : Pegasus Press * (1961) - ''The Early Journals of Henry Williams 1826 to 1840''. Christchurch : Pegasus Press
online available
at

New Zealand Electronic Text Centre The New Zealand Electronic Text Collection (NZETC; mi, Te Pūhikotuhi o Aotearoa) is a freely accessible online archive of New Zealand and Pacific Islands texts and heritage materials that are held by the Victoria University of Wellington Library ...

(NZETC) (2011-06-27)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tohitapu 1833 deaths Te Roroa people Year of birth unknown Māori Tohunga