ngati toa

Events In History

Articles

The Wairau incident

  • The Wairau incident

    On 17 June 1843, 22 European settlers and four Māori were killed when an armed party of New Zealand Company settlers clashed with Ngāti Toa over the purchase of land in the Wairau Valley, near modern-day Blenheim.

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  • Page 2 – Ngāti Toa and the New Zealand Company

    The Wairau incident had its origins in the migration of Ngāti Toa and its allies from Kāwhia to the Kapiti region of the southern North Island.

  • Page 3 – Violence erupts

    When Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata told William Wakefield to stop the survey, he instructed his brother Arthur to ignore their opposition.

  • Page 4 – The fallout from Wairau

    The news from Wairau shocked settlers throughout the colony. The killing of men who had surrendered was viewed as cold-blooded murder. Many feared that these events signalled

Biographies

  • Parata, Wiremu Te Kākākura

    Elected to Parliament as the member for Western Māori in 1871, Wiremu Parata, took part in several high-profile court claims over Māori land.

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  • Te Rauparaha

    Te Rauparaha was a Ngāti Toa chief and warrior. Sometimes called the 'Napoleon of the Southern Hemisphere', he ruled the lower end of the North Island from his base at Kapiti Island for the best part of 20 years

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  • Te Whiwhi, Hēnare Mātene

    Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi promoted the idea of a Māori monarch, which he believed would be vital to protect Māori land.

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  • Topeora, Rangi Kuini Wikitoria

    A signatory to the Treaty of Waitangi, Rangi Topeora was often referred to as the Queen of the South. She was a noted composer and mediator, and rejected European clothing throughout her life.

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  • Pōmare, Māui Wiremu Piti Naera

    Māui Pōmare was the first Māori doctor. As Māori Medical Officer, toured Māori districts in this role, advising people about public health. Pōmare became a member of Parliament in 1911, and minister of health in the 1920s.

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  • Main image: Maraenuku pā

    Samuel Brees painting of the now destroyed Maraenuku pā in Lower Hutt