Eruera Maihi Patuone - Tribal Wars

Tribal Wars

Given the close kinship connections between Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua and Te Roroa, this battle was typically a product of many take (issues) overtaking kinship linkages. It was also an endemic feature of groupings in the north: war was not confined to those who were not related. Such was the slaughter of Ngapuhi at Te Moremonui that the event became known as Te-Kai-a-Te-Karoro (The Seagull's Feast). It was, however, the kinship links which led to a line being drawn in the sand by Te Teke under instructions from the chief Taoho, beyond which no further killing was to take place. Thus, some key Ngapuhi made their escape as a result of kinship and through an act of chivalry so typically Māori. It would not be until 1825 and the battle of Te-Ika-a-Ranganui near Kaiwaka, that Ngapuhi extracted a terrible utu (reprisal; payback) for their military disaster at Te Moremonui. Part of the Ngapuhi problem was their confidence in that they possessed more muskets but also an unfortunate choice of encampment, vulnerable to surprise attack from concealed positions.

The period from 1815 to 1840 saw many wars involving Ngapuhi with southern tribal groupings, especially Ngati Whatua, Ngati Paoa, Ngati Maru and Waikato generally. Following a particularly acrimonious period of major battles with Ngati Paoa in particular, as part of a peace deal between Ngapuhi and Ngati Paoa, Patuone married Takarangi, sister of the Ngati Paoa chief Te Kupenga. This was about 1828. Thereafter, Patuone moved his base to the Hauraki area of South Auckland, maintaining pa (defensive, fortified villages) at Whakatiwai on the Hauraki Gulf south of present-day Auckland and at Putiki on Waiheke Island. Later, following the gift of 115 acres (0.47 km2) at Takapuna, Patuone set up his estate there, acting as a buffer for the town of Auckland, under threat of attack from disaffected Ngapuhi until the "defeat" of Kawiti and Heke at Ruapekapeka in 1846. Nene was left to supervise and safeguard interests in the Hokianga.