Ropata Wahawaha ( – 1 July 1897) was a Māori military leader and rangatira (chief) of the Ngāti Porou iwi (tribe) who rose to prominence during New Zealand's East Cape War and Te Kooti's War.

Born in 1820 in the Waiapu Valley on the East Cape, he was enslaved as a boy and became known as Rāpata Wahawaha. He later obtained his freedom and as an adult, became known as Ropata. In 1865, he fought against the Pai Mārire religious movement when it expanded into the East Cape area. During the conflict, he became rangatira of Te Aowera, a hapū (subtribe) of Ngāti Porou. As a Kūpapa, a Māori allied to the New Zealand Government, he fought alongside the Volunteer Force, New Zealand's militia, and led war parties against the Pai Mārire and their presence in the East Cape region was largely eliminated by mid-1866.

From 1868 to 1871, he commanded Ngāti Porou war parties in the pursuit of Te Kooti, a rebel Māori leader whose religious movement, Ringatū, threatened the security of the East Cape region. During the conflict he played a key role in the capture of Te Kooti's pā (hill fort) at Ngatapa, for which he was awarded the New Zealand Cross and was made a major in the Volunteer Force. His pursuit of Te Kooti was motivated by a desire to ensure that Ngāti Porou land was not subject to seizure by the Government. In his later years, he commanded the militia in the Ngāti Porou district, was a land agent and a member of the Legislative Council.

Early life

Rāpata Wahawaha was born about 1820 either in Te Puia Springs or Akuaku, in the Waiapu Valley on the East Cape. He was the son of Hīpora Koroua and Te Hapamana Te Whao. He was of the Te Aowera hapū (sub-tribe) of the Ngāti Porou iwi (tribe), one of the major Māori iwi in the eastern regions of the North Island of New Zealand.

As a child Ropata was captured by the Rongowhakaata iwi during a conflict with Ngāti Porou over disputed land. He became the slave of Rāpata Whakapuhia whose name he perforce adopted. However, in later years when he rose to prominence he worked closely with Donald McLean who, having a broad Scottish accent, habitually pronounced his name as "Ropata" and it became the name by which he is generally known. He preferred this as it disassociated him from the period of life when he was a slave. By 1839 Ropata had gained his freedom and was living with the Ngāti Porou. He was married to Harata Te Ihi

East Cape War

Little is known of Ropata's life following his marriage until 1865, when the East Cape War broke out. The pa contained about 200 Ringatū warriors and around 300 other Māori, many of whom were prisoners taken in Te Kooti's raids. The first assault on 4 December, led by Ropata, Hōtene Porourangi, another rangatira of Ngāti Porou, and Lieutenants Mair and Preece of the Armed Constabulary, was unsuccessful. The pā was up on the peak of a ridge, and had strong fortifications including entrenchments and was palisaded. Although Ropata led a party in capturing a defensive trench, it had to be abandoned in the evening when they ran out of ammunition. Ropata pulled his men, tired by the march from Wairoa and the subsequent fighting, back to Tūranga. Despite this Ropata was awarded the New Zealand Cross (NZC) for his bravery and leading role in this action. The NZC had recently been established as a gallantry award for colonial personnel, and was regarded as being equivalent to a Victoria Cross (VC); those serving in New Zealand's colonial militia were ineligible for the VC unless they were under the command of British officers. Ropata was also made a major in the Armed Constabulary. From 1878, he was commander of the regional militia, with a salary of £200 a year, until 1884, when cost cutting measures saw an end to the position being salaried. In his later years, he received an annual pension of £100.

Since the 1860s, Ropata has been described as a Kūpapa, for example by historians James Belich and Michael King. This is generally understood as meaning Māori who were neutral or loyal to the Government. However, in recent times, the term has also been used in a derogatory sense, to refer to Māori who aligned themselves with the Government to the disadvantage of other Māori. According to Crosby, Ropata should be more correctly characterised as being loyal to his iwi and the honouring of the Treaty of Waitangi, which guaranteed the security of Ngāti Porou lands. He took a pragmatic approach to collaboration with the Government to ensure his iwis land was not confiscated given that at least some Ngāti Porou became Hauhau during the East Cape War.

Notes

References

  • Rapata Wahawaha on New Zealand History online
  • ROPATA, Wahawaha, Major from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, originally published in 1966