Tupu Taingakawa and Ngati Haua records.

Tupu Atanatiu Taingakawa Te Waharoa (1844/45?-1929) was born in the Waikato region, possibly at Te Tapiri or Maungakawa, to Wiremu Tamihana Tarapipipi Te Waharoa and Pare Te Kanawa. Taingakawa’s father was leader of Ngati Haua and the family was connected to the Waikato tribal groups of Ngati Hinepare and Ngati Hikairo. Against a backdrop of European settlement, war and land issues, Taingakawa’s father welcomed Christianity, adopted European customs, and built a new pa and schools. However, by the time of his death in 1866, Te Waharoa had become more allied to the Maori King Movement and less enamoured with European activities.

Taingakawa inherited his father’s leadership role in 1867 ahead of his older brother, Hote. An invitation from the King Movement for Ngati Haua to relocate to within the King Movement’s boundaries caused division within Ngati Haua but the offer was accepted by the brothers and others of the group, who settled at Te Kuiti around 1873. This arrangement only lasting for two years before they returned home. Over the next two decades, Taingakawa continued his steady support for King Tawhiao and contributed to the leadership of Ngati Haua, to the extent that he established a Ngati Haua village at Maungakawa, near Cambridge, from where a council, Te Kauhanganui, or, Parliament, was formed and a newspaper, Te Paki o Matariki, was printed. In the 1890s, Taingakawa held the role of Speaker of the Parliament’s upper house, established the Tekau-ma-rua (twelve-member council) and set meeting agendas. When King Tawhiao died in 1894, it was Taingakawa who ritually anointed and ‘crowned’ with a Bible, Tawhiao’s son, Mahuta, and it was he who rebuffed an approach to unite the King and Te Kotahitanga Movements in 1895.

In the course of Taingakawa’s work for the King Movement, he regularly aired frustrations over land confiscations and expressed the desire for a greater measure of self determination. He was also frustrated by compromises and a general lack of progress on the part of the King. To heighten awareness of various issues, he organised petitions in 1898, 1907 and 1909, with little success. However, he was confirmed as head of the kingdom and made trustee of its lands, which allowed Taingakawa to ensure the Movement’s precepts and covenants were adhered to. In 1911 the idea of joining the Te Kotahitanga movement of North and South Island tribal groups was revisited and adopted, with Taingakawa as leader under the King’s authority. The new entity was named Te Kotahitanga Maori Motuhake.

In 1912 King Mahuta died and Te Rata, his successor, was crowned by Taingakawa. In 1914, Taingakawa and others went to England to take one of his petitions over grievances to King George. Except from exchanging gifts, little was achieved. By the time of their return the First World War had begun and pressure came upon Maori men to participate. Taingakawa indicated a reluctance of Waikato men to participate due to unaddressed grievances. By the end of the war, Taingakawa’s role and influence was waning and that of the King’s cousin, Te Puea Herangi, was increasing. Taingakawa shifted his focus to further development of Rukumoana with a church, parliament building and memorial to the King. He also formed a relationship with T.W. Ratana, widening a gap between Te Puea and Taingakawa. In the 1920s, he organised another petition, this time sponsored by Ratana, which sought a commission of enquiry into the 1860s land confiscations. In 1924 Taingakawa travelled to England with a Ratana group. They sought financial support and to introduce the Ratana faith to England. Taingakawa took his petition but, as with the previous trip to England, little was achieved by the visit, which was marred by a debacle over gift-giving. However, it is thought that Taingakawa’s petition had a positive influence on a royal commission in 1927 that investigated land confiscation and other issues. Taingakawa died aged 84 in a private hospital in Auckland in June, 1929.