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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Sheet 6 — The Bay of Plenty (Fedarb) Sheet | Mato | Mato | Ngāti Awa? | Whakatāne, 16 June 1840 |
Mato signed the Bay of Plenty (Fedarb) sheet of the Treaty of Waitangi at Whakatāne on 16 June 1840. He was a Ngāti Awa rangatira (chief).
In 1824, Mato led Ngāti Awa of Whakatāne in a taua (war party) from Ruatāhuna to Wairoa to avenge the deaths of Te Toroa and Rangi-wai-tatao. Ngāti Kahungunu were defeated in a battle fought on the banks of the Wai-reporepo stream.
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