Tāmati Wāka Nene

A leading Ngāpuhi chief, Tāmati Wāka Nene was an early friend of Pākehā and one of the Wesleyan missionaries' first converts, taking the baptismal name of Thomas Walker (Tāmati Wāka). He protected the Anglican and Wesleyan missionaries and also greatly assisted the British Resident, James Busby.

Nene was one of its most influential supporters in the debate at Waitangi over the Treaty and he was among the first to sign. He arrived at the gathering when agreement was very uncertain and spoke to argue that British intervention was necessary for peace and stability, given the lawless Pākehā who were already there. The situation had already passed out of the control of the Māori chiefs, he thought. However, although he agreed that the Governor should be as a father, judge and peacemaker, he declared that Māori customs should also be preserved and their lands should never be wrested from them. His speech was the turning point of the debate, leading to the general agreement.

During the 1845 conflict with Hōne Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti, Nene again allied himself with the British, providing support and advice to the imperial forces. He was later a friend of Governor Grey. His epitaph read: 'tē hoa o te Kāwanatanga me te matua o te Pākehā' ('friend of the Government and parent of the Europeans').

Adapted from the DNZB biography by Angela Ballara

• Read the full biography in Te Ara Biographies

Tāmati Waka Nene

He tino rangatira a Nene (? 1780-1871) nō Ngā Puhi, ā, he tino hoa moata nō te iwi Pākehā, ko ia hoki tētahi o ngā rangatira tuatahi kia iriiria e ngā mihingare o te hāhi Wēteriana, ko tōna ingoa iriiri ko Tāmati Waka. Ka tiakina e ia ngā kaikauwhau o te hāhi Mihingare me ō te hāhi Wēteriana, ā, i āwhina nui hoki i a Te Pūhipi, te Rēreneti o Ingarangi.

Ko Nene tētahi o ngā tino kaitautoko i roto i te taukumekume i Waitangi mō te Tiriti, ko ia hoki tētahi o ngā rangatira tuatahi ki te haina. I te rangirua te wairua o te hui i tōna taenga atu. Heoi anō ka whakatau whakaaro ia mō ngā painga o te tuku i a Peretānia kia whakauru mai, mō te rangimārie me te rongomau, inā hoki he nui ngā Pākehā ture kore kua tae kē mai. Kua kā kē te ahi, ki ōna whakaaro, e kore e puritia e ngā rangatira o te taha Māori. Ahakoa tana kī me noho mai te Kāwana hei matua, hei kaiwhakawā, hei kaihohou hoki i te rongo, ki tana kōrero, me noho katoa mai ngā tikanga Māori, kaua hoki e tukua ngā whenua o te iwi Māori kia ngaro atu. Ko tana kauwhau te tino kōrero o ngā whiriwhiringa katoa, i huri mai ai te wairua o te hui ki te tautoko i te kaupapa.

I te pakanga o te tau 1845 ki a Heke rāua ko Kawiti, ka piri a Nene ki te taha Ingarihi, ā, ka tautokona, ka āwhinatia hoki e ia ngā ope matua o Ingarangi. He hoa hoki ia ki a Kāwana Kerei i muri. Anei ngā kōrero i tana kōhatu: 'te hoa o te Kāwanatanga me te matua o te Pākehā'.