James Hēnare

James Hēnare (1911–1989) was born at Mōtatau in the Bay of Islands. He was descended from a number of famous northern warrior chiefs, including Hōne Heke and Kawiti. His father Taurekareka Hēnare, elected Member of Parliament representing Northern Māori in 1914, was of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua. His mother, Hera Paerata, was of Te Rārawa, Ngāti Kuri and Te Aupōuri.

Hēnare was marked from childhood as a future leader, and was trained in Māori tikanga (custom) and whakapapa (genealogy). He was educated at Sacred Heart College, a European school in Auckland. Later he became a foreman on a Ngāti Hine Māori land development scheme. He was a lay reader in the Anglican Church from the late 1930s, and a long-serving member of the Auckland synod.

When his father died in 1940 James Hēnare became a leader, a role enhanced by his service in the war. He enrolled as a private in the 28th New Zealand (Māori) Battalion, and quickly obtained a commission. He served with the Māori Battalion in North Africa - he was wounded at El Alamein - and in the Italian campaigns. He was promoted to captain in 1942, and major in 1944. In June 1945 he became commanding officer of the battalion with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was an inspirational, fearless and courageous leader. He was mentioned in dispatches, and received the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1946 for his conduct at the battle of Monte Cassino.

After the war he devoted himself to public service and the leadership of his people. One of his most significant contributions was to help set up the kōhanga reo programme, through which pre-school children learnt the Māori language. He also continued his father's fight for recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi. He believed it was the special duty of Tai Tokerau (Northland) tribes to "argue the Treaty". Until his death he served as a member of Te Rūnanga o te Tiriti o Waitangi, a committee of descendants of the chiefs who had signed the Treaty in 1840. Following on from his father he was a member of the Waitangi National Trust Board in 1940, and was organising secretary of the Waitangi centennial celebrations that year. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1966, and was knighted in 1978. James Hēnare died at Kawakawa in 1989.

Adapted from the DNZB biography by Puna McConnell and Robin C. McConnell

• Read the full biography in Te Ara Biographies

James Clendon Tau Hēnare

I whānau mai a James Clendon Tau Hēnare (1911-1989) ki Mōtatau i Pēwhairangi. He uri whakaheke ia nō ngā toa whakawehi o te raki pērā i a Hōne Heke, i a Kawiti mā. Ko Taurekareka Hēnare tōna matua, nō ngā iwi o Ngā Puhi me Ngāti Whātua. I pōtitia ia ki te Pāremata hei Mema Māori mō Te Tai Tokerau i te tau 1914. Ko tōna whāea ko Hera Paerata, nō ngā iwi o Te Rārawa, o Ngāti Kurī, o Te Aupōuri.

Mai anō i tōna tamarikitanga kua puta kē ngā tohu kaiārahi kei a ia; ka ākona ia ki ngā tikanga Māori me ngā whakapapa. I kuraina ia ki te Kāreti o te Manawa Tapu, he kura Pākehā i Tāmaki-makau-rau. Nō muri ka mahi a ia i runga i tētahi o ngā kaupapa ahuwhenua Māori a Ngāti Hine. Atu i te tōmuritanga o ngā 1930, he kaipānui reimana a ia i te Hāhi Mihinare. Ka hia tau a ia ka noho hei mema o te hīnota o Ākarana.

I te matenga o tōna matua i te tau 1940 ka matika a Hēnare hei kaiārahi; ka kuhu ia ki ngā rīriri i waenganui i ngā whenua o te ao, kātahi ka teitei atu tōna tūranga. Ka kuhu a ia ki Te Hokowhitu a Tū 28 hei hōia noa. Kāore noa iho i roa ka whai kōmihana. Ka kuhu ia ki ngā whawhai i Āwherika ki te Raki – i taotū ia i El Alamein – me Itāria. Ka kake a ia hei kāpene i te tau 1942, ā, nō te tau 1944 ka eke ia hei meiha. I te marama o Hune o te tau 1945 ka tohungia ia hei kaiwhakahaere o te ope taua Māori, ko te rūtene kānara tōna tūranga. He kaiārahi māia a Hēnare. Ka tū te ihiihi, ka tū te wanawana o ana hōia. Kuhuna ai ngā kōrero mō tōna toa ki ngā pānui. I te tau 1946 ka whakawhiwhia ia ki te tohu DSO mō tana ārahi i ana hōia i te pakanga o Monte Cassino.

I te mutunga o ngā riri ka huri a Hēnare ki ngā mahi kāwanatanga, ki te ārahi i tōna ake iwi. Ko tētahi o ngā mahi nui i āwhina ia, ko te whakatūnga o te kōhanga reo hei ako i te reo Māori ki ngā tamariki kōhungahunga. Ka hāpai ia i te take o tōna matua kia whai whakaaro nuitia te Tiriti o Waitangi. I whakapono ia he kawenga tapu tā ngā iwi Māori o Te Tai Tokerau ki te whakaputa kōrero mō te Tiriti. I runga ia i te Rūnanga o te Tiriti o Waitangi, he komiti o ngā uri whakaheke o ngā rangatira nā rātou te Tiriti i haina i te tau 1840. Pērā ki tōna matua, i te tau 1940 ka tohungia a Hēnare ki te Poari Kaitiaki o Waitangi mō te Motu, ā, i taua tau tonu ko ia te hēkeretari whakahaere i te hui ka tū ki Waitangi hei whakanui i te rau tau o te hainatanga o te Tiriti. I whakawhiwhia ia ki te tohu CBE i te tau 1966; i te tau 1978 ka ūhia ia ki te tohu Tā. Ka mate a Hēnare i Kawakawa i te tau 1989.