Te Ruki, ‘the Duke’, Kawiti was a reluctant signatory to the Treaty, having earlier signed He Whakaputanga. A brilliant military strategist who fought against British forces in the 1845–46 Northern Wars, he was responsible for some of the earliest anti-artillery bunkers used in warfare. Before his death he told his people to hold onto the ways of their ancestors and to wait ‘until the sandfly nips the pages of the book [i.e., the Treaty]; then you will rise and oppose’.
Te Ruki Kawiti
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.
Signing
| Signature | Sheet | Signed as | Probable name | Tribe | Hapū | Signing Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheet 1 — The Waitangi Sheet | Kawiti | Te Ruki Kawiti | Ngāpuhi | Ngāti Hine | Bay of Islands, 13? May 1840 |
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