Te Kooti fought on the government side in the New Zealand Wars before being exiled to the Chatham Islands on charges of espionage. He later escaped back to the mainland and fought a long guerilla war against government forces.
Te Kooti
Personal details
Lifetime:
? – 17 Apr 1893
Biography
Events In History
6 May 1869
The main purpose of the operation was to punish Tūhoe for supporting Te Kooti Rikirangi, whose ‘rebel’ force they had sheltered after it was defeated at Ngātapa, inland from Poverty Bay, in January.
4 January 1869
Pursued by Māori and colonial troops to Ngātapa, an old hilltop pā inland from Poverty Bay, Te Kooti narrowly avoided capture after a three-day siege. Many of those with him were captured and executed the following day.
10 November 1868
The Matawhero ‘massacre’ was Te Kooti’s utu (revenge) for his 1866 exile to the Chatham Islands, and subsequent events.
4 July 1868
Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki of Rongowhakaata was arrested near Gisborne in 1865 after allegedly helping a ‘rebel’ Pai Mārire force. He became one of hundreds exiled to the remote Chatham Islands.
5 June 1866
The future prophet and military leader was deported to the Chatham Islands with Pai Mārire prisoners. He had been accused of spying for the enemy while fighting alongside government troops.
Articles
New Zealand's 19th-century wars
War changed the face of New Zealand in the 19th century. Many thousands of Māori died in the intertribal Musket Wars between the 1810s and the 1830s. There were more deaths during the New Zealand Wars of the 1840s to 1870s between some Māori and the Crown, which for many tribes had dire consequences. Read the full article
Page 4 - Prophets and colonists
From 1864, a new round of fighting in the New Zealand Wars was sparked by Māori religious
Page 5 - End of the New Zealand Wars
The New Zealand Wars ended in 1872. European settlers prevailed through weight of numbers and economic power. By 1900, New Zealand was a settler society, with Māori pushed out to
Page 6 - NZ Wars flags
Many Maori in the 19th century saw the Union Jack as a potent symbol of Great Britain's power in New Zealand. In the New Zealand Wars, Maori who resisted government forces often
Pai Mārire
Pai Mārire (goodness and peace) was one of several new Māori faiths to emerge in the 19th century. Like many others, it was closely tied to issues of land and politics. Read the full article
Page 1 - Pai Mārire
Pai Mārire (goodness and peace) was one of several new Māori faiths to emerge in the 19th century. Like many others, it was closely tied to issues of land and
Treaty timeline
See some of the key events between 1800 and 1849 relating to the Treaty of Waitangi. Read the full article
Page 2 - Treaty events 1850-99
See the key events between 1850 and 1899 relating to the Treaty of
Te Kooti's war
Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūrukiwas one of the most significant Māori leaders of the 19th century. For nearly four years he waged a guerrilla war unlike any previous conflict in the New Zealand Wars. His influence continues to be felt in eastern Bay of Plenty and East Coast, where his Ringatū faith remains strong. Read the full article
Page 1 - Te Kooti's war
Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūrukiwas one of the most significant Māori leaders of the 19th century. For nearly four years he waged a guerrilla war unlike any previous conflict in the
Page 2 - Clashes of faith
A civil war erupted on the East Coast in the winter of 1865 when Hauhau evangelists ignored a warning not to enter Ngāti Porou
Page 3 - Exile and deliverance
Chatham Island was home for Te Kooti and his fellow prisoners for two
Page 4 - Te Kooti's war begins
In July 1868 Major Reginald Biggs sent three Māori emissaries to Whareongaonga. Te Kooti and his followers were told to surrender all their weapons and ‘await the decision of the
Page 5 - Matawhero
Shortly before midnight on 9 November 1868, Te Kooti and around 100 men moved on Matawhero. By dawn nearly 60 people from Matawhero and the adjacent kāinga had been
Page 6 - Ngātapa
An attack by a combined Ngāti Porou-government force saw Te Kooti retreat inland to the ancient hilltop pā of
Page 7 - Te Kooti goes to Te Kūiti
Te Kooti was invited to the King Country only if he came in peace. He responded defiantly that he was coming to ‘assume himself the supreme authority which he coming direct from
Page 8 - Te Pōrere and retreat
On 25 September Te Kooti was defeated by a combined force of Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Arawa and Ngāti Tūwharetoa at Te Ponanga, near
Page 9 - A Māori matter
Te Kooti's final
Page 10 - Further information
Links and books relating to Te Kooti's
Related Biographies
Ngāti Porou leader Rāpata Wahawaha opposed the Pai Mārire religion and sided with the government against its followers. He was later presented with a ceremonial sword by Queen Victoria for services to the Crown during the New Zealand Wars.
Rua Kēnana was a Tūhoe prophet who set up a community at Maungapōhatu in the Urewera mountains. In 1916 he was arrested for sedition for his opposition to Māori conscription in the First World War. His trial was one of the longest in New Zealand's legal history.
Served with distinction during the New Zealand Wars. Played a leading role in campaigns against Te Kooti, commanding an irregular contingent of loyalist Māori known as the Arawa Flying Column.
Main image: Te Pōrere redoubt
Te Pōrere redoubt was 'reconstructed' by the Historic Places Trust around 1960
