Te-O-Tane

Te-O-Tane was a Māori rangatira (chieftain) of the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi and Ngāi Tamaterangi hapū in the Wairoa area of Hawke Bay of New Zealand.

In particular, he and his brothers were locked in a conflict with the children of their uncle Tapuwae, whose settlements were mainly on the western side of the Wairoa.

He therefore sent his main commander, Takapuwai, with a force of 500 men to attack Te-O-Tane at Taramarama.

Te-O-Tane led out a force of 200 men and met Takapuwai in open battle.

[5] After the battle, Tapuwae invited Te-O-Tane to his pā at Hikukoekoea and asked him to avenge Kotore (who was also an ancestor of Te-O-Tane), by saying: taku kupu kia koe, ko a koutou whakanenene waiho i te kainga nei, ara, tikina te umu e tapuke mai ra hukea ("my word to you is that you let your family quarrels lie at home here.

[6] Before setting out on the expedition, Te-O-Tane and his brother Paiteihonga met at Papohue and watched the sea for a Te-O-Tane's personal sign of victory, a circle the colour of a rainbow reflected on the surface of the sea caused by a particular arrangement of the clouds.

The first village that they encountered did not belong to the people responsible for the death of Kotore, so the war party decided not to attack it.

While they were encamped outside the village, the local tohunga (priest) had a dream that one of the men in the war party would "make the mat of Apanui wet with blood."

Te-O-Tane and his men pretended to join this retreat, but then suddenly turned around and attacked the pursuers, killing them all.

The attackers were confidant that they would win, so when they reached the Wairoa river mouth, they began to dig pit-ovens for cooking Te-O-Tane and his people.

[12] The children of Te Whewhera fled to Hikawai, where they plotted to get revenge on Te-O-Tane and Moewhare.

Te Whewhera was furious that they had decided to do this; she went to Manukanui and warned Moewhare, saying "they will not respect my breasts now hanging, so they should fall.

[14] Moewhare arrived at Te Uhi and discovered that Te-O-Tane had not killed the attackers.

[15] One of Te Kāwiti's men, Koroiho, was killed while foraging by the Ngāti Ruapani based at Whakapau-karakia pā in Tutuotekaha.

He led his forces to rendezvous with Te Kāwiti's men at Kauhouroa (near modern Scamperdown Bridge, east of Frasertown).

[16] Te-O-Tane had previously been attacked at Waitahora by men of Ngāti Hinganga, who were based nearby.

[17] After the battle of Te Matenga-pūrangi, Te-O-Tane's brother-in-law and spear-bearer, Taiwhakawhuka, took two young women prisoner.

Te Wainohu led a war party to Waitahora on a night when Taiwhakahuka was on sentry-duty.

Therefore, Te-O-Tane wrapped a pākē (flax rain-cape) around his hand and stuck it out the window.

Te-O-Tane agreed, renaming him Te Kahu-o-te-rangi after the good omen that he used to watch for from Papohue.

[18] Taiwhakahuka fled south to the Aropaoanui River and from there to Ōtaki, where he took refuge in a pā on top of a steep hilltop.

They had four children:[21] At the Takatimu wharenui at Waihirere marae, Te-O-Tane is depicted on the far right hand poupou.