Te Wera Hauraki
Te Wera Hauraki (?–1839) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Nga Puhi iwi. Hauraki was the son of Kaitara, a leader of Ngāti Hineira and Te Uri Taniwha, of Nga Puhi. He lived in Pukenui pa, Te Ahuahu, in the Bay of Islands in his youth. Hauraki and his brother Te Kopiri fought as young men in the battle fought by Whaingaroa to drive Ngati Pou from Taiamai to Whangaroa and Hokianga. In 1817 Hauraki was living in the village of Motuiti, downstream from Kerikeri. He had a child who got accidentally burnt, from which Hauraki took the name Te Wera (the burning).[1]
From about 1818 to 1823 Te Wera went on expeditions and fought battles in the Bay of Plenty and the East Coast, and then settled at Mahia Peninsula in northern Hawkes Bay, where he became the leader of the people there. He led a war party to the Heretaunga area to attack Ngāti Te Ūpokoiri. At Heretaunga his party became allied with Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti led by Te Pareihe and Ngāti Kurukuru led by Tiakitai. The combined force captured Te Roto-a-Tara pā near Te Aute from Ngāti Te Ūpokoiri and their Ngāti Tūwharetoa allies. Fearing invasion of Heretaunga by outsiders, Te Wera returned to Mahia, followed by Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti and other hapū.[1]
Te Wera continued to live on as the leader at Mahia, engaging in other wars, and dying in 1839.[1]
References
- Ballara, Angela. "Te Wera Hauraki". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.