Te Pokiha Taranui
Date of birth / Date established
Circa 1820
Date of death / Date closed
11 Jul 1901
Place of birth / Place established
Place of death / Place closed
Person/Corporate type
Individual
Biography
Te Pokiha Taranui, Ngāti Pikiao rangatira of Te Arawa, was born around 1820 to parents Te Huruhuru and Taranui. Te Pokiha resided for much of his life in Maketu, and occasionally at Taheke in Lake Rotoiti. At Taheke his whare was ‘Rangitihi’, owned by his brother Te Waata Taranui. Kawatapuarangi at Maketu was his main residence, living only several months at a time in Rangitihi.
Te Pokiha married three times. His first marriage was to Matira Te Wheoro and together they had a daughter, Matira Pohi Hawere Bennett. Te Pokiha had two more children, Atawhai Taranui and Te Waka Taranui, with a woman named Ngarangikaki Taranui. It is possible his second wife was Te Reita Ngarangikaki, widow of Pokika’s nephew Hemana Te Wehi o te Rangi, who was a land owner in Okataina. Ngarangikaki’s father was Arama Karaka Mokonuiarangi, rangatira of Ngāti Rangitihi. Ngarangikaki and Hemana Te Wehi’s son, Hemana Mokonuiarangi, was later known by the name Hemana Pokiha, further suggesting the likelihood of Pokiha’s union with his mother. Ngarangikaki passed away at age 42 in 1883. Te Pokiha’s third marriage was to Te Rangipaoa Rewiri, daughter of Rewiri Manuariki. Rangipaoa cared for Pokiha into his dying day.
Te Pokiha Taranui participated prominently in the New Zealand wars during the 1860s, known to British and colonials as Major Fox. He fought with the Crown against their Māori opposition between 1864 and 1870, given a commission and presented with a sword of honour from Queen Victoria. He commanded a section of Te Arawa forces in the government’s campaign to capture Te Kooti. Further details of Te Pokiha’s involvement in the New Zealand wars are given in his biography written by Steven Oliver for Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
Te Pokiha Taranui died in the arms of Te Rangipaoa on the 11th of July in 1901, having been transported to his home in Maketu. Pokiha sold his whare Tuhua Katōre just before his passing, to ensure an appropriate tangihanga was given. His remains lie at Te Atua-a-Reretahi near Rotoiti.
External Sources:
"Auckland Intitute: Third Meeting: 2nd July, 1894", Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961, Volume 27, 1894, 674, URL: http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_27/rsnz_27_00_005250.html
"Auckland Institute: Fourth Meeting: 5th August, 1901.", Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961, Volume 34, 1901, 573-574, URL: http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_34/rsnz_34_00_006180.html
"Bay of Plenty Times", Bay of Plenty Times, Volume 12, Issue 1599, 18 October 1883.
"The Bay Of Plenty Times and Thames Valley Warden", Bay of Plenty Times, Volume 29, Issue 4174, 17 July 1901.
Cowan, J., "THE SKETCHER: Maketu – A Picturesque and Historic Village" Star, Issue 10434, 13 April 1912.
Neich, Roger. Carved Histories : Rotorua Ngāti Tarawhai Woodcarving / Roger Neich. Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland University Press, 2001.
Oliver, Steven, "Taranui, Te Pokiha", Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, URL: https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1t14/taranui-te-pokiha
Pomare, M. and Cowan, J., "Te Pokiha's Farewell. - A Memory of Maketu", Legends of the Maori, Southern Reprints, URL: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Pom01Lege-t1-body2-d32.html
Te Pokiha married three times. His first marriage was to Matira Te Wheoro and together they had a daughter, Matira Pohi Hawere Bennett. Te Pokiha had two more children, Atawhai Taranui and Te Waka Taranui, with a woman named Ngarangikaki Taranui. It is possible his second wife was Te Reita Ngarangikaki, widow of Pokika’s nephew Hemana Te Wehi o te Rangi, who was a land owner in Okataina. Ngarangikaki’s father was Arama Karaka Mokonuiarangi, rangatira of Ngāti Rangitihi. Ngarangikaki and Hemana Te Wehi’s son, Hemana Mokonuiarangi, was later known by the name Hemana Pokiha, further suggesting the likelihood of Pokiha’s union with his mother. Ngarangikaki passed away at age 42 in 1883. Te Pokiha’s third marriage was to Te Rangipaoa Rewiri, daughter of Rewiri Manuariki. Rangipaoa cared for Pokiha into his dying day.
Te Pokiha Taranui participated prominently in the New Zealand wars during the 1860s, known to British and colonials as Major Fox. He fought with the Crown against their Māori opposition between 1864 and 1870, given a commission and presented with a sword of honour from Queen Victoria. He commanded a section of Te Arawa forces in the government’s campaign to capture Te Kooti. Further details of Te Pokiha’s involvement in the New Zealand wars are given in his biography written by Steven Oliver for Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
Te Pokiha Taranui died in the arms of Te Rangipaoa on the 11th of July in 1901, having been transported to his home in Maketu. Pokiha sold his whare Tuhua Katōre just before his passing, to ensure an appropriate tangihanga was given. His remains lie at Te Atua-a-Reretahi near Rotoiti.
External Sources:
"Auckland Intitute: Third Meeting: 2nd July, 1894", Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961, Volume 27, 1894, 674, URL: http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_27/rsnz_27_00_005250.html
"Auckland Institute: Fourth Meeting: 5th August, 1901.", Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961, Volume 34, 1901, 573-574, URL: http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_34/rsnz_34_00_006180.html
"Bay of Plenty Times", Bay of Plenty Times, Volume 12, Issue 1599, 18 October 1883.
"The Bay Of Plenty Times and Thames Valley Warden", Bay of Plenty Times, Volume 29, Issue 4174, 17 July 1901.
Cowan, J., "THE SKETCHER: Maketu – A Picturesque and Historic Village" Star, Issue 10434, 13 April 1912.
Neich, Roger. Carved Histories : Rotorua Ngāti Tarawhai Woodcarving / Roger Neich. Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland University Press, 2001.
Oliver, Steven, "Taranui, Te Pokiha", Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, URL: https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1t14/taranui-te-pokiha
Pomare, M. and Cowan, J., "Te Pokiha's Farewell. - A Memory of Maketu", Legends of the Maori, Southern Reprints, URL: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Pom01Lege-t1-body2-d32.html
