Chief Tāmati Wāka Nene

Nene was born probably in the 1780s. He was the second son of Tapua, leader and tohunga of Ngati Hao of Hokianga, and the younger brother of Patuone, the inheritor of their father's mana. By descent and marriage this family was connected to many of the major chiefs of Hokianga, Whangaroa, the Bay of Islands and other places. Through his mother, Te Kawehau, he was related to Hongi Hika, and also to the brothers Rewa (Manu), Moka and Te Wharerahi. His sister Tari married Te Wharerahi. Nene could trace his descent from Rahiri, ancestor of Nga Puhi, through a number of lines... His prestige among Europeans was great. When he died, on 4 August 1871, Governor George Bowen wrote in a dispatch to London that he was the Maori leader who 'did more than any other…to establish the Queen's authority and promote colonization'. He was buried with Church of England rites at Russell, his pall-bearers were his kin and local government officials, and his coffin was borne to the grave by 12 leading colonists. He had outlived his children. Before he became a Christian he may have had as many as six wives; he was survived by his second Christian wife, Ruth. To Maori, whether they agreed with him or not, Nene was a man of great mana. Source: Angela Ballara via Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

Sources

1. Angela Ballara. 'Nene, Tamati Waka', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated November, 2001. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1n2/nene-tamati-waka (accessed 27 January 2019)