HANATAUA, TE REI (?-1860) a principal chief of Ngati-Ruanui in the early nineteenth century, lived chiefly at Te Ruaki, and was considered by Gudgeon the greatest chief in Taranaki. He was constantly at war to prevent the passage of heke through his country towards Cook Strait. In 1824 he participated in the combined attack on Te Rauparaha at Kapiti. In revenge for the death at his instigation of a Ngati-Awa chief, Te Karawa, a strong taua of Ngati-Awa and Taranaki, with reinforcements from Waikato under Awaitaia and Waharoa, invaded the Ngati-Ruanui country in search of Hanataua (1826), but without success. He protected the heke Tama te Uaua from Ketemarae (1832) until it was safely past the hostile Whanganui tribes. Two years later a stronger force came from Waikato bent on obtaining revenge. Though many of his men were absent Hanataua defied the invaders and taunted them with breaking their peace. After a long siege and a truce for negotiation the pa fell and Hanataua was captured. Waikato proceeded to attack Matakatea (q.v.) at Ngateko, and in the confusion of their defeat at Nga Ngutu-Mairo, Hanataua and many of his people escaped (1834).

Hanataua sympathised with Wi Kingi te Rangitake in the Waitara dispute (1860) and led to Taranaki a contingent of the Nga-Ruahine hapu armed with double-barreled shotguns. Arriving at Waireka on the eve of the engagement he was killed in the first charge. TITO Te Hanataua, chief of the Tangahoe tribe, was hostile to the pakeha during the early part of the Hauhau war, but took the oath in 1866.

S. P. Smith, Taranaki; Cowan; Gudgeon.

Reference: Volume 1, page 193

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