Te Kooti

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Te Kooti

Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (c.1820 - 1891) was a Māori leader, founder of the Ringatu religion, and guerrilla fighter.

While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau he was accused of spying. Exiled to the Chatham Islands without trial along with captured the Hauhau, he experienced visions and became a religious leader. In 1868 he led the escape of 168 prisoners, seizing the Rifleman, a schooner and sailing back to North Island and began a series of raids. He was pardoned in 1883.

1 Early Life
2 Exile
3 Escape
4 At war
5 Pardon and later life
6 See also
7 External links
8 References
9 In fiction

[edit] Early Life

Te Kooti's early years are obscure. He was born in the Gisborne region and later operated a trading boat between Auckland and Gisborne.

[edit] Exile

In 1865 while fighting with government forces to suppress the Pai Marire (or Hauhau), he was arrested as a spy and exiled to the Chatham Islands, together with the rebels are from Newlands college he had been fighting against. He was never tried and took every opportunity to demand a trial, some say he got his name from this, "Kooti" pronounced "Courty", others that it was a Māori version of the last name "Coates". If he did supply the Pai Marire with guns as is alleged, he also took part in a battle against them. There are allegations he fired blanks on this occasion.

While in exile Te Kooti experienced visions and became a religious leader. He also performed some sleight of hand, such as using matchheads to set his hand on fire above the altar during a church service. These tricks swayed the Māori prisoners on Chatham Islands, and when some of the chiefs present on the island were sent back to the mainland, Te Kooti took advantage of the situation to become the local leader. Only Te Kooti's uncle was not impressed by these tricks, which he saw right through. Nevertheless, Te Kooti established a faith named Ringatu [Upraised Hand] which gained many followers, and is still present in New Zealand society today.

[edit] Escape

Expecting a resupply boat, Te Kooti prophesied that two boats would soon arrive to take them off the island. On July 4, 1868 Te Kooti led a dramatic prison break, and together with 168 other prisoners seized the schooner Rifleman, including supplies and rifles, scuttling another and set off back to the North Island. This was a bloodless coup, on Te Kooti's strict orders, except for one Chatham Island sergeant who was killed anyway because of a personal grievance. The Pākehā sailors were allowed to live and set sail for the coast of New Zealand with help from the Māori. The sailors attempted to sail towards Wellington, but with Te Kooti's expertise at sailing were caught and told they would be thrown overboard if they did not keep a course for the East Coast. On the fourth day at sea, the ship was becalmed, and Te Kooti declared that a sacrifice was needed. Te Kooti duly had his uncle thrown overboard and soon afterwards the ship made headway again.

Upon their arrival at Whareongaonga in Poverty Bay, Te Kooti asked the King movement and the Tuhoe tribes for refuge but was rejected. He also sought dialogue with the colonial government but was rebuffed. He sent a statement to the effect that if the government wanted a war, he would give it to them in November.

[edit] At war

Main article: Te Kooti's War

On November 10, 1868 Te Kooti and his followers attacked the township of Matawhero on the outskirts of Gisborne. Some 54 people were slaughtered, including women and children. The dead included 22 local Māori as well as European settlers. This was probably a revenge attack, motivated by Te Kooti's false imprisonment as a spy.

Te Kooti was then pursued by colonial and sympathetic Māori forces. His community was surrounded at Ngatapa, but the Ngāti Porou contingent refused to fight him and Te Kooti and his warriors managed to escape.

From there, Te Kooti was chased to Te Porere. There, he set up a pa and withstood an attack from the British forces, including some opposing Maori troops, under Major Kepa. After much fighting, the British broke through into the pa and Te Kooti had to abandon ship, leaving many killed and wounded. Indeed, Te Kooti himself was shot in the finger on his escape.

From there, Te Kooti escaped into the Urewera and made an alliance with the Tuhoe leadership.

From 1869 to 1872 Te Kooti and his followers raided throughout the central North Island while being pursued by their colonial and Māori enemies. His power was only broken once his Tuhoe allies were systematically conquered by his enemies. But once again Te Kooti managed to escape, this time to the King Country where he spent the next decade under the protection of the Māori King. Te Kooti used this time to develop his religion.

[edit] Pardon and later life

In 1883 Te Kooti was pardoned by the government and began to travel New Zealand. His followers grew and he decided to return to his old home. However, his past deeds had not been forgotten and the local magistrate arrested him and imprisoned him, citing an anticipatory breach of the peace. Te Kooti was released on the condition that he never again try to return to his old home. Te Kooti appealed this decision, and was initially successful, but in 1890 the Court of Appeal ruled that the terror and alarm that Te Kooti's reappearance would have entailed justified the magistrates decision. No doubt the Court was influenced by Te Kooti's preferred mode of transport, a white charger, and his large entourage.