Huriwhenua signed Te Tiriti at Queen Charlotte Sound on 5 May 1840. He was the principal chief of Ngāti Rāhiri. He originally lived at Te Taniwha pā at Tūrangi, near Waitara.
He was the son of Ngārongoueroa and Manukapanganui. His siblings were Rangiauhi, Te Wharemāwhai and Huriwaka. Te Wharemāwhai married the Ngāti Toa rangatira Nohorua, Te Rauparaha’s half-brother.
At the time of the Treaty, Huriwhenua was living on his pā at Mōioio Island in Tory Channel, a community of about 150 people with rich fishing resources.