Nga Tohu

In 1840 more than 500 chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document. Ngā Tohu, when complete, will contain a biographical sketch of each signatory.


Signing

SignatureSheetSigned asProbable nameTribeHapūSigning Occasion
19Sheet 6 — The Bay of Plenty (Fedarb) SheetTunuiTūnuiNgāti AwaNgāti PūkekoWhakatāne 16 June 1840

Hori Tūnui signed the Bay of Plenty (Fedarb) sheet of the Treaty of Waitangi at Whakatāne on 16 June 1840. He was a Ngāti Pūkeko rangatira (chief).

Tūnui was killed in March 1869 when Te Kooti attacked Rauporoa pā near Whakatāne. His taua (war party) approached the pā carrying white flags and a cross. Some in the pā shouted ‘haere mai’, while others called ‘they are Hauhaus, fire!’ [1] Ngāti Pūkeko began firing on the attackers, who returned fire. About eight Ngāti Pūkeko were killed, including Tūnui and one woman. Te Kooti lost a similar number.


[1] ‘Native account of the late fight at Whakatane’New Zealand Herald, 18 March 1869, p. 6


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