Te Rauparaha

Te Rauparaha, Ngāti Toa chief, 1840s

Te Rauparaha (1760s-1849) was a Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars. He was influential in the original sale of conquered Rangitane land to the New Zealand Company and was a participant in the Wairau Incident in Marlborough. He was known as the Napoleon of the South Pacific.

Early days

From 1807, muskets became the weapon of choice and partly changed the character of tribal warfare. In 1819 Te Rauparaha joined with a large war party of Ngā Puhi led by Tāmati Wāka Nene; they probably reached Cook Strait before turning back.

Migration

Over the next few years the intertribal fighting intensified, and by 1822 Ngāti Toa and related tribes were being forced out of their land around Kawhia after years of fighting with various Waikato tribes often led by Te Whero whero. Led by Te Rauparaha they began a fighting retreat or migration southwards, (this migration was called Te-Heke-Tahu-Tahu-ahi)conquering hapu and iwi as they went south, which ended with them controlling the southern part of the North Island and particularly the strategically placed Kapiti Island, which became the tribal stronghold.

In 1824 an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 warriors comprising a coalition of mainland tribes from Te Wai Pounamu, the East Coast, Whanganui and the Horowhenua assembled at Waikanae, with the object of recovering Kapiti Island. Crossing in a flotilla of war canoes under cover of darkness, they were met as they disembarked by a smaller force of Ngāti Toa fighters led or reinforced by Te Rauparaha. The ensuing Battle of Waiorua, at the northern end of the island, ended with the rout and slaughter of the attackers. This decisive victory left Te Rauparaha and the Ngāti Toa able to dominate Kapiti and the adjacent mainland.

Trade and further conquest

Pākehā whaling stations became established in the area, and Te Rauparaha encouraged them and many Māori worked in them. Some Māori women married Pākehā whalers, establishing a lucrative trade of supplies for muskets thereby increasing Te Rauparaha's mana and military strength. In 1827 he began the conquest of the South Island, and by the early 1830s he had defeated a branch of the Rangitane iwi in the Wairau valley and controlled most of the northern part of it. He married his daughter Te Rongo to an influential whaling captain,Captain Blenkinsop and sold land to him in the Wairau Valley for a whaling station. It is uncertain if Te Rauparaha understood the full implications of the deed of sale he signed and gave to the captain. He hired the brig Elizabeth with Captain Stewart to transport himself and 100 warriors to Akaroa Harbour where he attacked the local tribe and captured its chief Te Maihararnui and his wife and daughter. During the voyage back to Kapiti the chief killed his own daughter. Te Rauparaha was incensed and on their arrival at Kapiti the survivors were tortured to death.

In 1831 he took the major Ngāi Tahu pā at Kaiapoi after a three month siege [1][2], and shortly after took Onawe Pā in the Akaroa harbour, but these and other battles in the south were in the nature of revenge (utu) raids rather than for control of territory. Further conquests to the south were bought to a halt by a severe outbreak of measles and the growing strength of the southern hapu who worked closely with the growing Europen whaling community in coastal Otago and at Bluff.

Planned European settlement

Te Rauparaha, contemporary sketch

The last years of Te Rauparaha's life saw the most dramatic changes. On 16 October 1839 the New Zealand Company expedition commanded by Col William Wakefield arrived at Kapiti. They were seeking to buy vast areas of land with a view to forming a permanent European settlement. Te Rauparaha sold them some land in the area that became known later as Nelson and Golden Bay. On 14 May 1840 Te Rauparaha signed a copy of the Treaty of Waitangi, believing that the treaty would guarantee him and his allies the possession of territories gained by conquest over the previous 18 years. On 19 June of that year, he signed another copy of the treaty, when Major Thomas Bunbury insisted that he do so (Oliver 2007).

Te Rauparaha soon became alarmed at the flood of British settlers and refused to sell any more of his land. This quickly led to tension and the upshot was the Wairau Affray when a party from Nelson tried to arrest Te Rauparaha, and 22 of them were killed when they fired upon Te Rauparaha and his people out of fear. The subsequent government enquiry exonerated Te Rauparaha which further angered the settlers who began a campaign to have the governor, Robert FitzRoy recalled.

Capture and eventual death

Then in May 1846 fighting broke out in the Hutt Valley between the settlers and Te Rauparaha's nephew, Te Rangihaeata. Despite his declared neutrality, Te Rauparaha was arrested after the British captured secret letters from Te Rauparaha which showed he was playing a double game. He was charged with supplying weapons to Maori who were in open insurrection. He was captured near a tribal village Taupo Pa in what would later be called Plimmerton, by troops acting for the Governor, George Grey, and held without trial before being exiled to Auckland where he was held in a ship. At the Kohimaramara peace conference Te Rauaparaha was allowed to attend by Grey. Grey allowed him to speak to restore his mana.Te Wherowhero was soured by this action. Grey spoke to Te Rauaparaha and persuaded him to give up all outstanding claims to land in the Wairau valley which he did.Then, realising he was old and sick he allowed Te Rauparaha to return to his people at Otaki in 1848, where he died the following year, 27 November 1849.

Haka

The most common haka, or challenge, performed by the All Blacks and many other New Zealand sports teams before international matches is "Ka Mate" - composed by Te Rauparaha to celebrate his escape from death in a battle in the early 19th century.

References

• Oliver, Steven. "Te Rauparaha ? - 1849". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1t74. Retrieved 4 April 2011. 

External links

• Mention in 1966 An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand