Biography of Te Whiti-O-Rongomai

Biography of Te Whiti-O-Rongomai

By George B.S.

Te Whiti-O-Rongomai was born in 1830 at Ngamotu, Taranaki. He was the son of Tohukakahi. Tohukakahi was a minor chief of Patukai Hapu. Te Whiti was the second cousin of Honiana Te Puni and a nephew of Te Wharepouri.

He received these connections from his dad. Te Whiti enrolled at Reimeshneiders Mission School. He excelled in bible studies. 

After leaving school, Te Whiti started a flour mill in Warea. Te Whiti lived peacefully on the coast of Parihaka until troops burned his village down in 1865. By 1870, Parihaka became the biggest village in the country. In 1879, the Europeans settled in Parihaka. Two years later, the Europeans began taking the Maori land and punishing the people of Parihaka. The people of Parihaka challenged the Europeans because their land was taken unfairly. Te Whiti and Tohu (a relative on Te Whiti’s father’s side of the family) were the leaders of the Parihaka movement. They protested peacefully. They persuaded the Maori to keep ploghing the land. Many of the Maori were arrested and shipped to the South Island. Te Whiti and Tohu held monthly meetings. Both were arrested soon after.

Te Whiti played mind tricks on the guards. He tried to make them lose their sanity. “Te Whiti is believed to be the first Maori person to speak on a telephone. He also cut steel plates with a special saw at the Christchurch Railway Workshop.” In 1888 Te Whiti’s wife died shortly before his release, he was not allowed to go to her funeral. Once Te Whiti and Tohu arrived at Parihaka, they started to rebuild the village. They continued to protest until the Europeans stopped. The village was mixed with Europeans and Maori.

Te Whiti died on the 18th of November, 1907. He will be deeply remembered by the people New Zealand. I found Te Whiti inspiring because he protested peacefully and he never gave up on Parihaka.