Ropata Wahawaha
Encyclopedia
Ropata Wahawaha was a Ngāti Porou
war chief who rose to prominence during New Zealand
's East Cape War
and to senior command during Te Kooti's War
.
of New Zealand. While still a child he was captured and became the slave of Rapata Whakapuhia whose name he perforce adopted.
However, in later years when he rose to prominence he worked closely with Donald McLean who, having a broad Scottish accent
, habitually pronounced his name as "Ropata" and it became the name by which he is generally known.
During the Invasion of the Waikato
a large party of Ngati Porou tried to join the King Movement but were prevented by Te Arawa
in the Battle of the Lake. It is not clear where Ropata's sympathies lay at that time.
or Hauhau
Movement came to the East Cape, Ropata was firmly on the Government's side. One influence in his decision might have been his Christianity; he was a leading member of the Anglican diocese
of Waiapu. When the Hauhau tried to take over the Waiapu
Valley, Ropata led a war party against them. Shortly afterwards the war chief of the Te Aowera was killed in battle and Ropata succeeded him as the War leader of his hapu
.
This was the beginning of the Ngati Porou civil war. The Hauhau had all the advantages; numbers, arms and ammunition. The loyal Ngati Porou appealed to the government for support. Donald McLean, the superintendent for Hawkes Bay sent up the need supplies along with one hundred militia. Ropata played a leading role in the fighting that followed establishing himself as a leading warrior and a dangerous enemy. At one point he found eleven men from his own hapu, Te Aowera, among a group of Hauhau prisoners and he personally shot each one.
As the fighting in his own area died down Ropata and his Ngati Porou war band were called upon by the government to fight in other areas, most notably to assist the Ngati Kahungunu
.
There followed a brief interval of peace until spring of 1868 when Ropata was called upon once again by the New Zealand Government. This time the enemy was Te Kooti
, recently escaped from prison in the Chatham Islands
. Te Kooti had retreated to a strong defensive Pa at Ngatapa. The first assault, led by Ropata, Porourangi, and Lt Preece, was unsuccessful, despite which Ropata was awarded the New Zealand Cross for bravery and promoted to the rank of Major in the militia.
Returning to the scene three weeks later Major Ropata and Captain Tom Porter succeeded in separating the defenders from their water supply. An assault on 4 January 1869 forced Te Kooti to evacuate the Pa. In the ensuing flight several hundred Hauhau prisoners were captured and, largely at Ropata's insistence, one hundred and twenty of them—all male combatants—were shot and thrown over a cliff. This would not have been inappropriate according to the customary rules of Maori warfare. However, it was most inappropriate for soldiers of the Crown.http://www.waitangi-tribunal.govt.nz/reports/summary.asp?reportid={DE526A10-DDDF-45E1-9E09-FEA0F939832D}
Te Kooti fled into the Urewera
Mountains; he was driven from there by the Government forces including Ropata and the Ngati Porou. From there he trekked into the central regions of the North Island, mainly around Lake Taupo. However the government pursuit kept him always on the move and some months later he returned to the Ureweras. There were numerous actions, skirmishes, and battles during this time, and Ropata played an important part in many of them.
At this stage, early 1870, the government decided to withdraw all Pakeha militia from the pursuit. The hunt for Te Kooti was entrusted to two tribes, Ropata with the Ngati Porou and Kepa
with the Wanganui
Maori. Only one Pakeha was allowed to accompany the Maori war parties; Ropata asked for and got Tom Porter, now a Colonel, as his second in command. After about two months campaigning Kepa and Ropata managed to catch Te Kooti between their two forces at Maraetahi. In the ensuing battle the Ringa Tu force was destroyed. Te Kooti escaped, he always did, but most of his men were either captured or killed.
The hunt for Te Kooti was to continue for another two years with Ropata being actively involved for most of the time. He also completed the pacification of the Urewera Mountains and the tribe who occupied them, the Tuhoe
.
Ropata was recognized as one of the leading men of the Ngati Porou. He used his influence to strengthen the tribe's position both with the Government and with their traditional enemies. The tribe lost very little land by confiscation partly because Ropata helped to persuade many of them to let out their land on long-term leases.
In 1875 he stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in the Eastern Maori
electorate. In 1878 he was awarded The Sword of Honour from Queen Victoria and appointed commander for the regional militia together with a pension from the Government, originally 200 pounds a year, although later it was halved. Then in 1878 he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council
. Meanwhile he was also a sheep farmer, sometimes successful, other times not.
By a curious twist of fate he eventually got the chance to arrest Te Kooti. Te Kooti had been pardoned in 1883 and since then had built up a quite large religious following. This was tolerated until 1889 when he decided to return to Poverty Bay, the scene of his earlier exploits. Ropata and Porter, still working together, were appointed by the Prime Minister to make sure Te Kooti did not enter the East Cape or Urewera region. The Ngati Porou were mobilized once again. They arrived on the scene just as Te Kooti was arrested by a police inspector, in time to prevent Te Kooti's followers from making a violent issue of it. Unfortunately Ropata missed the actual arrest because of ill health.
Ropata died in Gisborne
, 1 July 1897. His last words were, apparently, "Where's Porter?"
He accomplished a great deal in his life; rising from slavery to be a leader of his people and an important man on the national scene. It is said that there was only one goal he didn't accomplish—he never learned to speak English.
Ngati Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Porou has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zealand, with 71,910 registered members in 2006...
war chief who rose to prominence during New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's East Cape War
East Cape War
The East Cape War, sometimes also called the East Coast War, refers to a series of conflicts that were fought in the North Island of New Zealand from about 13 April 1865 to June 1868...
and to senior command during Te Kooti's War
Te Kooti's War
Te Kooti's War was one of the New Zealand Wars, the series of conflicts fought between 1845 and 1872 between the Māori and the colonizing European settlers, often referred to as Pākehā. This particular conflict covered most of the East Cape region and the centre of the North Island of New Zealand...
.
Childhood and names
Rapata Wahawaha was born about 1820 into the Te Aowera sub-tribe of the Ngati Porou, one of the major Maori tribes in the eastern regions of the North IslandNorth Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand. While still a child he was captured and became the slave of Rapata Whakapuhia whose name he perforce adopted.
However, in later years when he rose to prominence he worked closely with Donald McLean who, having a broad Scottish accent
Scottish English
Scottish English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Scotland. It may or may not be considered distinct from the Scots language. It is always considered distinct from Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language....
, habitually pronounced his name as "Ropata" and it became the name by which he is generally known.
Early adulthood
By 1839 he was back with his own people. In 1849 he married Harata te Ihi.During the Invasion of the Waikato
Invasion of the Waikato
The Invasion of Waikato or Kingitanga Suppression Movement was a campaign during the middle stages of the New Zealand Wars, fought in the North Island of New Zealand from July 1863 to April 1864 between the military forces of the Colonial Government and a federation of Māori tribes known as the...
a large party of Ngati Porou tried to join the King Movement but were prevented by Te Arawa
Te Arawa
Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty areas of New Zealand, with a population of around 40,000.The history of the Te Arawa people is inextricably linked to the Arawa canoe...
in the Battle of the Lake. It is not clear where Ropata's sympathies lay at that time.
1860s
However, when in 1865 the Pai MarirePai Marire
The Pai Mārire movement was a syncretic Māori religion that flourished in New Zealand from about 1863 to 1874. Founded in Taranaki by the prophet Te Ua Haumene, it incorporated Biblical and Māori spiritual elements and promised its followers deliverance from Pākehā domination, providing a...
or Hauhau
Hauhau
Hauhau is a Māori term that was applied to a branch of the religious movement Pai Marire, founded by Te Ua Haumēne of the Taranaki tribe in New Zealand in the 1860s. The movement inculcated that Māori would regain land that they had lost to Europeans during the colonisation process of New...
Movement came to the East Cape, Ropata was firmly on the Government's side. One influence in his decision might have been his Christianity; he was a leading member of the Anglican diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Waiapu. When the Hauhau tried to take over the Waiapu
Waiapu
Waiapu was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the Gisborne – East Coast Region of New Zealand, from 1893 to 1908.-Member of Parliament:...
Valley, Ropata led a war party against them. Shortly afterwards the war chief of the Te Aowera was killed in battle and Ropata succeeded him as the War leader of his hapu
Hapu
A hapū is sometimes described as "the basic political unit within Maori society".A named division of a Māori iwi , membership is determined by genealogical descent; a hapū is made up of a number of whānau groups. Generally hapū range in size from 150-200 although there is no upper limit...
.
This was the beginning of the Ngati Porou civil war. The Hauhau had all the advantages; numbers, arms and ammunition. The loyal Ngati Porou appealed to the government for support. Donald McLean, the superintendent for Hawkes Bay sent up the need supplies along with one hundred militia. Ropata played a leading role in the fighting that followed establishing himself as a leading warrior and a dangerous enemy. At one point he found eleven men from his own hapu, Te Aowera, among a group of Hauhau prisoners and he personally shot each one.
As the fighting in his own area died down Ropata and his Ngati Porou war band were called upon by the government to fight in other areas, most notably to assist the Ngati Kahungunu
Ngati Kahungunu
Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke’s Bay and Tararua and Wairārapa regions....
.
There followed a brief interval of peace until spring of 1868 when Ropata was called upon once again by the New Zealand Government. This time the enemy was Te Kooti
Te Kooti
Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki was a Māori leader, the founder of the Ringatu religion and guerrilla.While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau in 1865, he was accused of spying. Exiled to the Chatham Islands without trial along with captured Hauhau, he experienced visions and...
, recently escaped from prison in the Chatham Islands
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands are an archipelago and New Zealand territory in the Pacific Ocean consisting of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Their name in the indigenous language, Moriori, means Misty Sun...
. Te Kooti had retreated to a strong defensive Pa at Ngatapa. The first assault, led by Ropata, Porourangi, and Lt Preece, was unsuccessful, despite which Ropata was awarded the New Zealand Cross for bravery and promoted to the rank of Major in the militia.
Returning to the scene three weeks later Major Ropata and Captain Tom Porter succeeded in separating the defenders from their water supply. An assault on 4 January 1869 forced Te Kooti to evacuate the Pa. In the ensuing flight several hundred Hauhau prisoners were captured and, largely at Ropata's insistence, one hundred and twenty of them—all male combatants—were shot and thrown over a cliff. This would not have been inappropriate according to the customary rules of Maori warfare. However, it was most inappropriate for soldiers of the Crown.http://www.waitangi-tribunal.govt.nz/reports/summary.asp?reportid={DE526A10-DDDF-45E1-9E09-FEA0F939832D}
Te Kooti fled into the Urewera
Te Urewera
Te Urewera is an area of the central North Island of New Zealand. Located in rough, sparsely populated hill country to the northeast of Lake Taupo, it is the historical home of Tuhoe, a Māori iwi known for their controversial stance on Māori sovereignty...
Mountains; he was driven from there by the Government forces including Ropata and the Ngati Porou. From there he trekked into the central regions of the North Island, mainly around Lake Taupo. However the government pursuit kept him always on the move and some months later he returned to the Ureweras. There were numerous actions, skirmishes, and battles during this time, and Ropata played an important part in many of them.
At this stage, early 1870, the government decided to withdraw all Pakeha militia from the pursuit. The hunt for Te Kooti was entrusted to two tribes, Ropata with the Ngati Porou and Kepa
Kepa
Kepa may refer to:*Kepa Blanco, Spanish footballer*Kępa, Polish placename*Kippah, Jewish skullcap...
with the Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
Maori. Only one Pakeha was allowed to accompany the Maori war parties; Ropata asked for and got Tom Porter, now a Colonel, as his second in command. After about two months campaigning Kepa and Ropata managed to catch Te Kooti between their two forces at Maraetahi. In the ensuing battle the Ringa Tu force was destroyed. Te Kooti escaped, he always did, but most of his men were either captured or killed.
The hunt for Te Kooti was to continue for another two years with Ropata being actively involved for most of the time. He also completed the pacification of the Urewera Mountains and the tribe who occupied them, the Tuhoe
Tuhoe
Ngāi Tūhoe , a Māori iwi of New Zealand, takes its name from an ancestral figure, Tūhoe-pōtiki. The word tūhoe literally means "steep" or "high noon" in the Māori language...
.
Postwar years
By the end of Te Kooti's WarTe Kooti's War
Te Kooti's War was one of the New Zealand Wars, the series of conflicts fought between 1845 and 1872 between the Māori and the colonizing European settlers, often referred to as Pākehā. This particular conflict covered most of the East Cape region and the centre of the North Island of New Zealand...
Ropata was recognized as one of the leading men of the Ngati Porou. He used his influence to strengthen the tribe's position both with the Government and with their traditional enemies. The tribe lost very little land by confiscation partly because Ropata helped to persuade many of them to let out their land on long-term leases.
In 1875 he stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in the Eastern Maori
Eastern Maori
Eastern Maori was one of the four original New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates, from 1868 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres:* -Tribal areas:...
electorate. In 1878 he was awarded The Sword of Honour from Queen Victoria and appointed commander for the regional militia together with a pension from the Government, originally 200 pounds a year, although later it was halved. Then in 1878 he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
. Meanwhile he was also a sheep farmer, sometimes successful, other times not.
By a curious twist of fate he eventually got the chance to arrest Te Kooti. Te Kooti had been pardoned in 1883 and since then had built up a quite large religious following. This was tolerated until 1889 when he decided to return to Poverty Bay, the scene of his earlier exploits. Ropata and Porter, still working together, were appointed by the Prime Minister to make sure Te Kooti did not enter the East Cape or Urewera region. The Ngati Porou were mobilized once again. They arrived on the scene just as Te Kooti was arrested by a police inspector, in time to prevent Te Kooti's followers from making a violent issue of it. Unfortunately Ropata missed the actual arrest because of ill health.
Ropata died in Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
, 1 July 1897. His last words were, apparently, "Where's Porter?"
He accomplished a great deal in his life; rising from slavery to be a leader of his people and an important man on the national scene. It is said that there was only one goal he didn't accomplish—he never learned to speak English.