Years later when Hape-ki-tua-o-te-rangi was on his death bed, he gave his rangatiratanga (chieftainship) to Te Rauparaha who boasted, "Haere atu e koro ki te pō, whānga ai ngā kōrero huhua mōku!" (Go to the night, e koro, and await much talk about me!).
His fearless nature, his wit, strength, skills, defence of iwi interests, whakapapa (genealogy) and the support of talented contemporaries, soon enabled him to fulfil his claim. The British often referred to him as the "Napoleon of the South", as he was short in stature and skilled in warfare.
In 1820 Ngāti Toa were besieged by several thousand Waikato and Ngāti Maniapoto warriors, after Te Rauparaha attacked Waikato seeking revenge for his wife's death. Luckily, one of his relations allowed Te Rauparaha and his people to escape south.
The stake, vine and thatching were from Titimatarua and Te Urunga Paraoa. These were impregnable retreats belonging to Te Rauparaha, located on a cliff face at Tirua Point, and accessible only by a rope ladder that was drawn up when he was in residence. Established years earlier as quiet, safe places to think, he rested here after leaving Kāwhia. With lined walls, some covered with woven panels, and with finely woven sleeping mats lining the floor, plus a plentiful supply of preserved and fresh food and fresh water trickling off a cliff overhead, these were comfortable sanctuaries.
A 1906 Taranaki Herald article describes the dwellings, then over 90 years old, " ... on a ledge of rock on the face of a cliff only approachable at low water with safety ... framework built of kauri, pūriri, and akeake, with purlins of kohekohe and kawakawa ... thatched with toetoe, and lined inside very neatly with kākaho ..."
Ngāti Toa continued south via their alliances in Taranaki. Over the next few years Ngāti Toa, and their kin Ngāti Raukawa, Te Ātiawa and Ngāti Koata, migrated, conquering land from Whangaehu down to Pencarrow.
Muaūpoko, of Horowhenua, were targeted for extermination for attempting to kill Te Rauparaha after inviting him to a feast. Te Rauparaha escaped but many, including three of his children, did not. He made Kāpiti his stronghold with its natural defences, and accessibility to traders.
In 1824, a great waka fleet of Taranaki, Muāupoko, Apa and Rangitāne people of North and South Island, Ngāti Kuia, Kahungunu of Wairarapa, Ngā Rauru and Whanganui, assembled to attack Kāpiti. Whanganui took the waka taua (war canoe) Te Mata o Hoturoa, housed here at the Museum. It is estimated the attackers numbered more than 2000 against a mere 200 Ngāti Toa, Ātiawa and Ngāti Mutunga, who successfully defended Kāpiti.
In the following years Te Rauparaha sought revenge on rangatira who led the invasion against him at Kāpiti. He laid waste to Pūtiki, and conquered Apa, Kuia and Rangitāne iwi to gain the top of the South Island, before heading down to Akaroa Harbour. Subsequent skirmishes and alliances would redefine iwi boundaries again.
A line from the 1831 composition of Te Heuheu could have well described Te Rauparaha "... te mūrau a te tini, te wenerau a te mano ..." (the dread of the multitude, the envy of thousands).
By July 1846, Te Rauparaha, now over 80 years old, was apparently so intimidating that he was taken prisoner by Governor George Grey in a dawn raid. Settlers were afraid that the ageing rangatira would attack the Hutt Valley and Wellington. He was held without charge illegally, until January 1848 and died the following year on November 27.
It is ironic that Te Rauparaha, the most notable toa of the time, ultimately achieved immortality through his compositions. These oral histories, still performed today, record important events, including his lament when leaving Kāwhia. And of course, everyone knows about the most famous haka in the world, Ka mate, which he composed in 1820, to thank Wharerangi of Tūwharetoa.
■Āwhina Twomey is Kaitiaki Taonga Māori and Kaiwhakaako at Whanganui Regional Museum.
