Te Ruki Kawiti

Te Ruki Kawiti

Te Ruki Kawiti was born in the 1770s. Kawiti was known as both a warrior and a whakaaio whenua among his people. On several occasions, he found ways to stop terrible battles taking place between his tribe and other tribes.

He did not agree to sign the Treaty on 6 February but decided he would sign at a special meeting in May with Hobson. He possibly regretted signing because in 1845 he joined forces with other leading Māori to challenge British rule in his country. When the British launched three major attacks in the Bay of Islands, Kawiti's forces won. One time, when Māori had only one fighter to every six British soldiers, they still managed to win. The British wanted to make peace with Kawiti, but he would not agree because the British said that the peace agreement would involve Kawiti giving them some Ngapuhi land. In the end, he did agree to peace.

Before he died, Kawiti told his people to wait 'until the sandfly nips the pages of the book (the Treaty); then you will rise and oppose'. When Treaty promises are not upheld, his tribe has remembered this through the years, and still does today.

When Kawiti died, his tangi lasted for a year.