The Emergence of Rawiri Tareahi 1820-1850

Tareahi was born late in the eighteenth century, probably at Te Poraiti, Wharerangi on the western shores of Te Whanganui-a- Orotu, the inner harbour of present day Ahuriri. As a Ngati Kahungunu leader, Tareahi inherited his ancestral rights in this district from his mother, Te Huripatu of Ngati Hinepare. His father, Waitaringa, belonged to Ngati Takaha, a hapu who lived under the mana of Ngati Te Upokoiri, on the upper Ngaruroro River.

Essentially Tareahi served as a warlord in the Ngati Hinepare ranks. A descendant of Hikateko through Toheriri on his mother’s side, he belonged to the Ngati Takaha division of Ngati Te Upokoiri on his father’s side. He was raised in the fighting traditions of Ngati Te Upokoiri and was familiar with the territory from Maraekakaho to Kereru and Whanawhana where he served under  the chief Te Uamairangi.

Tareahi came at the right time for Ngati Hinepare. He helped to balance the authority of Ngati Parau under Te Hauwaho, Ngati Hawea under Whakato and Ngai Te Upokoiri under Te Wanikau. Ngati Hinepare had wide boundaries and they needed defending against the ambitions of strong neighbours. Tareahi was present with Haemania and Pakapaka when the kumara wars with Ngati Hawea flared up. He clashed with Ngati Parau and Ngati Hawea at the Paratuna fight and joined up with them to repel the Ngati Mahu chief Tangi Te Ruru when he raided Heretaunga about 1818. They occupied Te Rae of Tahumata, a hill at the outlet to Lake Oingo until the danger had passed. Haemania was dead by this time and Pakapaka and Tareahi lived on the neighbouring hill Rapaki.

Ngati Parau was involved in the killing of the Ngati Te Upokoiri chief Te Kipatu above Maraekakaho. Pakapaka and Tareahi joined Ngati Te Upokoiri in avenging his death at the battle of Taitimuroa. They attacked Ngati Parau at Pukemokimoki. Ngati Parau captured and killed Pakapaka and Tareahi assumed the mantle of principal chief of Ngati Hinepare. He retreated out of sight up the Tutaekuri River where his people had a tangi for Pakapaka then Tareahi spelt out his strategy for revenge. At night he split his forces in two. One lot approached the canoe anchorage of Ngati Parau under cover of darkness and set them alight.  When Ngati Parau rushed out to save them, the other contingent attacked the pa from behind and many were killed. Tareahi’s position at the head of Ngati Hinepare became permanent.

Tareahi was taken captive by the Waikato tribes at the battle of Pakake in 1824. When the survivors of Pakake arrived in the Waikato Tatau Te Wherowhero wept because he knew that the Heretaunga people had been slaughtered without sufficient cause. As a result, they were well treated, and he helped Tareahi and son Paora Kaiwhata, return to Ahuriri about 18 months later. He found Ngati Te Upokoiri in exile at Manawatu and the majority of Ngati Kahungunu resident at Nukutaurua on Mahia peninsula.

Because of his links to Ngati Te Upokoiri, Tareahi chose to remain in Heretaunga living at Lake Oingo and Ahuriri. By living at Lake Oingo, he maintained Ngati Te Upokoiri’s ahika, a symbolic kaitiaki of their occupation in the area. Through his action, they were later able to claim that they hadn’t permanently abandoned their ancestral territory. After the repatriation in the early 1840s, he chose to live at Poraiti on the shores of Te Whanganui-a-Orotu, where both William Colenso and Donald McLean described him as a legendary old chief.

Ngati Hinepare and Ngati Mahu mostly chose to live at Wharerangi on the return from exile, some with Te Putake and others with Tareahi. A chapel was erected at Paparakaitangi. Colenso visited it on 22 June, 1847 and commented “I went to visit their chapel, a godly building 40ft by 30ft and 10ft to wall plate, built of totara wood – the procuring of which had already cost them  a deal of heavy labour. Here I hope many a one will be blessed.”

The Ahuriri block had been purchased by the government and Wharerangi were leased to Europeans. The bulk of Ngati Hinepare and Ngati Mahu were living at Omarunui by this stage, with Tareahi’s son Paora Kaiwhata. He narrowly averted the sale of Omarunui to the government by Te Moananui, refusing to distribute the purchase money. Supported by Renata Kawepo, the sale was transferred to the Okawa block instead.

Tareahi had several children. His first son, Porokoru Mapu, was born to Hine-whaka-ehua of Ngati Kopua. A daughter, Hepora, was born to Tareahi and the sister of Hine-whaka-ehua, Whakahiahia. Tareahi’s third wife, Whareunga, of Ngati Mahu, had three children, Ani Kanara Marewa, who married Papaka, younger brother of Mananui and Iwikau Te Heuheu Tukino; Rawinia  Kaingaroa, who married Papaka’s grandson, and Paora Kaiwhata, who was the last tattooed chief of Ngati Hinepare.

In an era in which few war leaders lived to old age, Tareahi was unusual. He survived to see peace concluded with Ngati Tuwharetoa, the return of his people to their lands, the coming of Christianity to Heretaunga in the 1840s and the purchase of  the Ahuriri block by the government in 1851.

Tareahi was baptised by the missionary William Colenso in the late 1840s. He took the name Rawiri, a fitting name for one, who like the psalmist David, was a great warrior and a poet. In 1850 Colenso visited him at Te Poraiti, he found him busy at work making ropes for his fishing nets. Tareahi asked Colenso to baptise the children of the pa, and told the missionary that he always prayed at morning and evening, even when he was alone. He may well have anticipated the condemnation that was soon to fall on Colenso for his liaison with a Maori woman.

Rawiri Tareahi spent his declining days at Te Poraiti pa. He died there, possibly in the 1850s. According to his dying wish, he was buried by his sons within the sounds of the sea, at Te Rere a Tawhaki below Te Poraiti.

Donald McLean, at that time a government agent investigating land purchases, met Tareahi in December 1850 at Wharerangi.  ‘Old Rawiri, a legendary fixture, resides there’ he wrote. ‘He, his son and wives are now reciting one of the old men, like the prophet of old, leaning on his staff’.