HEKE, HONE (1869-1909). This brilliant young Maori was born at Kaikohe in 1869, and belonged to the Ngati-Tawake, Ngati-Rahiri and Ngati-Tautahi hapu of Ngapuhi. His father was Hone Ngapua Tuhirangi, of Bay of Islands, whose father, Tuhirangi, was an elder brother of Hone Heke (q.v.). The present Heke was therefore the grandnephew of Heke and the great-grandnephew of Hongi Hika.

Educated at the Kawakawa village schools, the Oromahoe native school and St Stephen's college, Auckland, Heke entered the government service in 1891 as a clerk in the native land court at Wellington. He threw himself with great enthusiasm into the Kotahitanga movement, which aimed at securing for the Maori the full control of their own lands and local government. A Maori parliament of nominated members, which originated in a conference amongst the Ngapuhi in the eighties, held its meetings generally in the northern district. Extending gradually to embrace practically all the tribes but those of the King country and Te Whiti's close adherents in Taranaki, it held its first meeting in another district (Hawkes Bay) in 1892.

Heke resigned his post in 1892 to accept the position of leader of the Federated Tribes of New Zealand. He stood for Parliament and was elected for the Northern Maori, on the crest of this movement, expressly for the purpose of putting this policy into effect. Though his bill in 1894 was thrown out, the movement gained momentum and culminated in 1900 in the passing of the Maori land administration and the Maori councils acts.

Heke won several elections, retaining his mana with his people and his seat in Parliament until his death (9 Feb 1909). He was a brilliant speaker and a man of strong personality, not the least important of the group of young men (including Ngata, Te Rangihiroa and Pomare) who led the Maori towards their renaissance in the early years of this century.

Heke's influence as a prominent chief of four great tribes (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi and Ngati-Whatua) was such that they were able on the advice of Sir James Carroll, to elect as his successor a man (Te Rangihiroa) who had no tribal connections in the north but was likely to carry on the spirit of Kotahitanga. A monument to Heke was erected on the Kaikohe hill by the Government and unveiled by Carroll.

N.Z.P.D., 10 Jun 1909; Gisborne; Scholefield in N.Z. Times, 10 Oct 1907; information from Heke, Carroll and Sir A. Ngata. Portrait: N.Z. Times, cit.; Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 206

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