TE RANGIHAEATA, or MOKAU (?-1856), a celebrated fighting chief of Ngati-Toa, was the son of Rakaherea and Waitohi (sister of Te Rauparaha), and a brother of Topeora. He was in the prime of life when the first Europeans met him, and was described as manly, well-formed and athletic, about six feet two inches in height, with curly black hair, a piercing eye and haughty bearing.

Rangihaeata was prominent in the fighting against Waikato tribes at Kawhia; in Taranaki (where he gained the name of Mokau); and in the hekes to Cook Strait. He was one of the leaders of the Ngati-Toa on the expedition of Tuwhare (1819-20). In a fight at Rangitikei he captured Pikinga, a Ngati-Apa woman of high rank, whom he married. His only child was drowned crossing the Mokau on the heke Tahutahu-ahi (1821). On returning from the campaign against Rerewaka (in the sounds of the South Island), Rangihaeata found that the Ngati-Ira chief Kekerengu (q.v.), who had been received as a fugitive at Waikanae after the massacre of most of his tribesmen in the Port Nicholson region, had been guilty of an amour with his wife. Fearing the vengeance of Rangihaeata, Kekerengu fled to Kaikoura, in the South Island. Swift on their track a Ngati-Toa taua, led by Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata, overtook the enemy at Omihi, routed them and passed on to attack the Ngai-Tahu pa at Kaiapohia. At the tangi following the death of Rangihaeata's mother at Mana in 1839, the old quarrel between Ngati-Raukawa and Ngati-Awa was revived and a fierce battle was fought on the sandhills at Kuititanga.

Rangihaeata received a share of the goods paid by the New Zealand Company for the purchase of the Ngati-Toa rights in and about Wellington and he also, at the invitation of Major Bunbury, affixed his signature to the Treaty of Waitangi. He firmly contended, however, that certain lands claimed by the Company were not in the sale and he opposed the Porirua surveys. When the Wairau dispute occurred he went to Nelson with Te Rauparaha and Te Hiko (q.v.) and protested against the survey of land that had not been sold. In subsequent developments he was fair and considerate, but unbending in his determination not to allow the survey to proceed. He led the party that burned the surveyors' huts, and held himself haughtily aloof from argument with the arresting party from Nelson. Only when his wife Te Rongo (the widow of Rauparaha's nephew Te Whaiti) had been killed by a shot from the gun of a pakeha did he become violent and demand full utu by the killing of pakeha prisoners of high rank. To this demand Te Rauparaha yielded, and the prisoners were put to death. Retiring to the North Island, Rangihaeata fortified a pa six miles up the Waikawa river. He was not punished for his part in the Wairau affair, Governor FitzRoy having decided that the Europeans were to blame. Nevertheless Rangihaeata held sullenly aloof from the Government, and passively resisted the penetration of the settlers. He took part in 1846 in the operations following the attacks on the settlements in the Hutt Valley. After that at Boulcott's farm in May he retreated to his strong pa at Pauatahanui, where for some time he resisted the operations conducted by Sir George Grey. After the erection of the blockhouse at the mouth of Porirua harbour and the capture of Te Rauparaha at Taupo (Plimmerton), Rangihaeata retired up the Horokiwi valley, closely followed by troops and militia, assisted by naval detachments which operated with gunboats on Porirua harbour. Disappointed in his hope that Ngati-Toa and Ngati-Raukawa would take up arms, he made a skilful retreat under great difficulties northwards along the foot of the Tararua mountains.

Having evaded pursuit, he built himself a pa at Poroutawhao, where he lived in retirement despite the efforts of Sir George Grey to establish friendly relations. For some years he maintained a tollgate on the beach to prevent settlers from driving cattle to their stations north of the Manawatu, and he resisted roadmaking until Grey persuaded him to have a road to his pa instead of the tollgate on the beach. Later a school was opened in the pa, and Rangihaeata yielded to the allurements to the extent of buying a buggy for his own use. In his later years he had several distinguished visitors, and when Grey's governorship terminated he wrote him a letter expressing warm regard for his old adversary, and gave him Ngahue's historic greenstone mere from Hawaiki.

In 1853 Rangihaeata visited Wellington in a friendly spirit. In his relations with the pakeha he was always scrupulously honest, and used his chiefly influence to enforce honesty amongst his people. He had a jealous nature, easily took offence and was very touchy about his mana. He never adopted Christianity. Rangihaeata died at Poroutawhao in 1856, and was buried there beside his wife Pikinga, a sister of Arapata Hiria, of Ngati-Apa, against whom Rauparaha and Nene were fighting when he captured her (1820).

Cowan; Bevan (p); Buick, Old New Zealander (p); McKillop; S.P. Smith, Taranaki; Cowan and Pomare, Legends of the Maori; Stack.

Reference: Volume 2, page 100

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