Te Pūoho ki Te Rangi

Te Pūoho (also known as Te Ngārau), ariki of Ngāti Tama, was born at Poutama, northern Taranaki, son of Whangataaki II and Hinewairoro.  His whakapapa connected him to major lines from several waka from Hawaiki, including important leaders of other iwi.  His high birth, courage and fighting skills saw him become paramount chief when more senior relatives were killed about 1820-1821.

Tupuna of Whānau of Te Pūoho ki Te Rangi Click image to enlarge

Te Pūoho and some Tama joined Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Rarua and Ngāti Koata, who had been ousted from Kawhia by Waikato and Maniapoto, on their heke (migration) south to Kapiti in 1822.  Te Pūoho returned to Taranaki to lead a large Tama contingent, accompanied by many Te Ātiawa under their own chiefs on Te Heke Niho Puta of 1824. He was involved in a number of skirmishes and retaliatory raids in the southern North Island between 1824 and about 1828 when the Tainui Taranaki alliance invaded Te Tau Ihu. Te Pūoho led warriors to attack Wairau districts and destroy pā and kāinga in the Marlborough Sounds.  When the taua (war party) split at Pelorus Sound, he and Ātiawa and Rarua chiefs assailed western districts, while Te Rauparaha's Ngāti Toa brigades besieged the east coast to Kaiapoi.

Te Pūoho and Te Manutoheroa (Ātiawa) captured Te Pakipaki, Ngāti Apa chief of Te Mamaku Pā, at Moutere and, at Pakipaki's request, killed him with his own mere pounamu, Te Kokopu.  When the conquest was complete, Te Pāoho and Te Koihua (Ātiawa) remained in northwest Nelson to maintain control, while other warriors continued south into Te Tai Poutini.

Te Pūoho Whānau: The Marriages
Click to enlarge

Te Pūoho established bases at Parapara and Wakapuaka.  He had two official wives and several slave wives.  By his first wife, Hinetawake of Tainui lines, Te Pūoho fathered three children who accompanied him to Te Tau Ihu - Tikawe (f), Hori Te Karamu (m) and Herewini Te Roha (m).  When his brother Taaku was killed in battle, Te Pūoho married Taaku's widow, Kauhoe, as expected by tikanga.  He thus acquired four stepchildren (already his nieces and nephews) - Paremata Te Wahapiro (m), Miriama Konehu (or Hingatu) (f), Kahiwa (f), and Mutumutu (m).  Te Pūoho and Kauhoe had one child who grew to adulthood, Wi Katene Te Pūoho (or Manu, Emanu), chief of Wakapuaka and father of Hūria Mātenga.

[Coates, Isaac], 1808-1878 :E Manu Chief - Wauka pa Wauka. [1843?].Alexander Turnbull Library. A-286-001 [one of Te Pūoho's sons]Permission must be obtained from ATL for further use of this image  Click image to enlarge

In 1836, a restless Te Pūoho decided to proceed via the West Coast of the South Island to Murihiku with the intention of ridding the island of Ngāi Tahu.  Leaving Rotokura (Cable Bay), his pā at Wakapuaka, accompanied by his nephew/stepson Paremata Te Wahapiro as senior lieutenant, Te Pūoho gathered supporters as he travelled west.  The taua covered several hundred kilometres of difficult terrain on foot before turning inland at the Haast River to reach Otakou. When the northerners attacked a Ngāi Tahu fishing camp at The Neck, a young man slipped away to warn his relatives.  Te Pūoho captured Tuturau Pā near Mataura (in Southland) on 18 January 1837, but his forces - weakened by their epic, sometimes hungry journey - were unable to defend the pa against a Ngāi Tahu counter-attack led by Tuhawaiki five days later.  Te Pūoho was shot and killed by John Topi Patuki.  Paremata was captured, but later returned to Wakapuaka by the Ngāi Tahu chief, Taiaroa, in recognition of Te Pūoho's and Paremata's kindness in allowing Taiaroa and his people to escape safely from the siege of Kaiapoi (1831).

2010

Updated April 2020

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