Tāmihana (born Katu) Te Rauparaha (1820s – October 1876) was a notable New Zealand

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 ...

leader, Christian evangelist, assessor, writer and farmer. He was born in

Pukearuhe Mimi is a locality in northern Taranaki, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 3 close to the shore of the North Taranaki Bight, 6 kilometres north-east of Urenui and 26 km south-west of Ahititi. The Mimi River f ...

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 ...

, New Zealand, the son of the great

Ngāti Toa Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Toarangatira or Ngāti Toa Rangatira, is a Māori '' iwi'' (tribe) based in the southern North Island and in the northern South Island of New Zealand. Its '' rohe'' (tribal area) extends from Whanganui in the north, Palmerston ...

leader

Te Rauparaha Te Rauparaha (c.1768 – 27 November 1849) was a Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars, receiving the nickname "the Napoleon of the South". He was influential in the origina ...

and his fifth and senior wife, Te Ākau of

Tūhourangi Tūhourangi is a Māori iwi of New Zealand with a rohe centered on Lake Tarawera, Lake Rotomahana, Lake Okaro, Lake Okareka, Lake Rotokākahi, Lake Tikitapu and Lake Rotorua. They have 3 marae, Te Pakira Marae in Whakarewarewa, Hinemihi (Te ...

. Tāmihana was strongly influenced by

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 ...

teaching. In 1842 Tāmihana worked as a missionary in the South Island, easing fears of renewed conflict from his father's old enemies. The following year he married Ruta Te Kapu in Otaki. In October 1850 he sailed for England, where he was presented to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

. On his return Tāmihana became supportive of the idea of a

Māori King 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 ...

to unify tribes. Initially he joined the King movement in opposing the selling of Māori land to the government, but when a chief of

Te Āti Awa Te Āti Awa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Taranaki and Wellington regions of New Zealand. Approximately 17,000 people registered their affiliation to Te Āti Awa in 2001, with around 10,000 in Taranaki, 2,000 in Wellington and aro ...

Wiremu Kīngi Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke (c. 1795 – 13 January 1882), Māori Chief of the Te Āti Awa Tribe, was leader of the Māori forces in the First Taranaki War. He was born in 1795-1800 in Manukorihi pa, near Waitara. He was one of the 3 sons o ...

got into conflict with the government over the sale of land at Waitara, he broke with the movement and sided with the government over issues of land and sovereignty. He died on 24 October 1876 and is said to be buried in an unmarked grave at Ōtaki, beside his wife. They had had no children, but had an adopted son.

Writer

Between 1866 and 1869 Tāmihana wrote a 50,000 word account in te reo Māori about his father, the great Te Rauparaha called ''He pukapuka tātaku i ngā mahi a Te Rauparaha nui / A record of the life of the great Te Rauparaha'' which was translated into English by Ross Calman and published by Auckland University Press.

References

1820s births 1876 deaths Ngāti Toa people Signatories of the Treaty of Waitangi New Zealand Māori religious leaders New Zealand writers People from Taranaki {{NewZealand-writer-stub