In 1840 more than 500 chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document. Ngā Tohu, when complete, will contain a biographical sketch of each signatory.
| Signature | Sheet | Signed as | Probable name | Tribe | Hapū | Signing Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Sheet 7 — The Herald (Bunbury) Sheet | Kaikoura | Kaikoura Whakatau | Ngāi Tahu | Ruapuke, 10 June 1840 |
Kaikōura signed the Herald (Bunbury) sheet of the Treaty of Waitangi at Tūhawaiki’s request on 10 June 1840 on board HMS Herald, which was anchored off Ruapuke Island. In 1990, Wharetutu Stirling gave evidence at a hearing of the the South Island Māori Appellate Court that this was Kaikōura Whakatau, the Ngāi Tahu rangatira of Kaikōura. [1]
[1] H. Evison, The Treaty of Waitangi and the Waitangi Tribunal, Christchurch, 1990 pp. 147-8
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