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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Sheet 8 — The Cook Strait (Henry Williams) Sheet | Te Puni | Hōniana Te Punikōkopu | Te Āti Awa | Ngāti Te Whiti, Ngāti Tāwhirikura | Port Nicholson, 29 April 1840 |
Te Puni signed Te Tiriti on 29 April 1840 in Port Nicholson. As a young man he was known as Hōniana. It was said he was given the name Te Puni – deep pool – after he and his father escaped an attack on their pā by jumping from a cliff into the Waiwhakaiho River.
He later settled in the Wellington region. Te Puni and his people built houses for settlers and provided supplies in exchange for European clothes and other items. Te Puni also gave them military advice.
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