TE WHATANUI, or TOHE A PARE, a chief of Ngati-Raukawa, was a man of great strength and prowess, fair haired and with Roman features. His lands were in the Maungatautari district. When living at Opepe in the early twenties he was invited by Te Rauparaha to join in a heke to the south. In 1821 a nephew, Te Wheturoa, was killed at Mau-ina-ina, and Whatanui and Te Rauparaha urged the Arawa to take revenge, thus initiating the wars between Ngapuhi and Arawa. Before this Te Whatanui's son, Te Momo, was killed at Roto-a-Tara (Hawkes Bay). Te Waewae of Ngati-Kahungunu, who married a sister of Te Whatanui, offended Te Kapu-o-te-Rangi by giving a present of birds to Te Kapua Matataru, and was killed. Seeking vengeance for these wrongs, Whatanui, with Te Heuheu and a taua 1,000 strong, invaded Ahuriri and fell on Ngati-Kahungunu at Te Iho-o-te-Rei, defeating them and occupying Roto-a-Tara (where his son Te Momo had been killed) with the intention of keeping possession of the Heretaunga plains. A counter attack was made by Pare-ihe and Te Wera who were armed with muskets and drove the invaders out of Ahuriri. Te Whatanui returned in 1824 with some of the Tuhoe and captured Te Rakiroa pa (near Te Reinga). At the battle of Pohatu-roa he slew Tu-Akiaki (c. 1826). In consequence of their failure to gain footholds in Taranaki and Heretaunga, Whatanui at length accepted the invitation of Te Rauparaha to migrate to the south. They were obstructed by Pehi Turoa and Anaua on the Whanganui river, but made peace on the release of the Ngati-Raukawa prisoners at Makokoti. Eventually Te Whatanui joined Te Ahu Karamu (q.v.) about 1825. A few years later he was again repulsed on an invasion of Ahuriri. Proceeding south after inflicting losses upon the Ngati-Kahungunu, he met at the Manawatu gorge the vanquished Muaupoko, and offered them sanctuary at his pa (Raumatangi). Against his advice they accepted a Ngati-Toa invitation to Waikanae, where some hundreds of them were killed. This incident led to their siding with the Government against the Hauhau 30 years later.

In 1828-29 Whatanui settled at Horowhenua on the shore of the lake, about five miles from Ohau. The Whanganui people having killed 40 of his followers on a heke, he induced Te Rauparaha to assist him in obtaining vengeance. They captured Putikiwaranui in 1829, the life of Te Anaua being spared on account of previous clemencies to the Ngati-Raukawa. Te Rauparaha's taua this time numbered 1,500. In the later wars on this coast Te Whatanui befriended the Muaupoko, and saved them from extermination at the hands of Te Rauparaha. Horowhenua was his favourite place of abode, but after the incursions of the Ngati-Kahungunu he spent some of his time at Otaki. He welcomed the Rev Henry Williams when he arrived at Otaki to establish the mission and to make peace between Ngati-Raukawa and Ngati-Awa after Kuititanga. He early adopted Christianity (under the influence of the Rev O. Hadfield) and offered to his people a fine example of civilised life and manners. Daily prayers were read by himself in his household. In spite of a disagreement over the Manawatu land purchase, Spain found him one of the best disposed and most straightforward chiefs he had met in New Zealand. In his dealings he was always mild and just. When Te Rauparaha formally ceded him land between Rangitikei and Kukutauaki, he suggested that he should wipe out the remnants of the Muaupoko, but Te Whatanui refused to do so and took them under his protection as slaves. He was regarded as chief of the Muaupoko. E. J. Wakefield found him in 1840 settled on the banks of the creek flowing out of Lake Horowhenua. He sold some of his land to obtain guns. In 1849 he lived at Otauru, near Poroutawhao, and at this time he commanded 1,200 toas of Ngati-Raukawa and other tribes. He died early in 1850.

Whatanui's descendants were dispossessed of much of their land 20 years after his death by the litigation of Major Keepa.

App. H.R., 1865, E2, 2A, 2B, G4, 10; 1866, A4, 15; 1867, A19, G14; 1868, A19, 25, G4; 1871, 11, L.C.16; 1872, F8, G40, L.C.24; 1874, H18; 1896, L.C, p. 33, 5, 5A; New Munster Gaz., 21 Aug 1850; E. J. Wakefield; S.P. Smith, Wars; Cowan; Lambert; H. McDonald; Polyn. Jour., vi, 181, A, 95; viii, 180-186, 241, 248; ix, 34-97, 71-83, 105, 106, 140, 152-158; x, 43-47; xi, 60, 147, 148; xii, 162; xvii, 37; xxiii, 45; xxiv, 129; xxv, 40-42, 79; xxvi, 186; White, Ancient Hist., ii, 176; vi, 23, 24, 34, 51, 59-75, 91-94, 99, 102, 193; Shortland, Religion and Mythology, 15; Downes, Old Whanganui; Trans. N.Z. Inst., v, 42, 57-71, 85-91; xxxviii, 5, 7, 501; xlii, 90-94; xlv, 372, 373.

Reference: Volume 2, page 247

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