Te Rangi Pikinga

Te Rangipikinga, often referred to as simply Te Pikinga or Pikinga, is an extremely important figure in Ngati Apa history. Whilst her precise whakapapa or genealogies are unclear, she has been variously described as a sister of Aperahama Tipae, a sister of Arapate Hirea and a sister of Hapurona Tohikura. At the very least we can be certain that she is a descendant of Rangiwhakaturia and/or Taitapu from Whangaehu and clearly has strong connections to the Parewanui based sections of Ngati Apa.

Her story is one that depicts the amazing turmoil that beset our ancestors in the period from 1819 right up to the signing of the Treaty with endemic warfare and violence as hapu throughout the North Island jostled for survival and large musket weilding tribes spilled into the lower North Island, forced down by even bigger and better armed tribes.

Te Pikinga was born probably around1800 for she was a young woman of marriageable age when the expedition of northern tribes led by Te Roroa moved south in 1819. The expedition joined Te Rauparaha of Ngati Toa at Kawhia and other leaders in Taranaki. Arriving in the Whanganui area, the war party surprised the Whanganui tribes and Ngati Apa sheltering at Orura pa on the Whanganui River. Crossing the river at night by raft, they defeated the pa's defenders, but those who escaped managed to kill two northern leaders.

Consequently the war party marched on through the Ngati Apa district. Most of our ancestors were able to avoid the war party by resorting to inland fighting pa on Nga Wairiki and the Rangitikei River which the party did not attack. Instead, the warparty attacked those hapu of Ngati Apa that had gathered on the Oroua River with Rangitane and a hapu called Ngati Tumokai. A short battle was fought in which several defenders were called before the order was given to run. In the confusion that followed, Te Pikinga, Te Arapata, Tangutu and Takaoi were captured.

Te Rauparaha, Tuwhare and their party passed on to Whanganui-a-Tara(Wellington Harbour) and Wairarapa taking their captives with them. After several months they returned by sea, landing at Te Pou-a-te-Rehunga, on the north side of the Rangitikei River. Te Rauparaha wished to avoid further fighting on his return overland to the Whanganui area. At the suggestion of his nephew Te Rangihaeata, Te Arapoata and Te Ra-tu-tonu, the husband of Rangi Topeora, were sent into the Ngati Apa paa at Te Awamate, which was a principal fighting pa of Ngati Rangiwaho and Ngati Maero sections of Ngati Tauira located near the Rangitikei river mouth, to negotiate on Ngati Toa's behalf. Ngati Apa, however, remained suspicious as to Te Rauparaha's power to restrain his fellow leaders. To reassure Ngati Apa of Ngati Toa's peaceful intentions, Te Rangihaeata then announced he would take Te Pikinga in a chiefly marriage alliance. By this action Te Rangihaeata was bound to Ngati Apa by ties of mutual protection. This marriage laid the foundations of future Ngati Toa, Te Ati Awa and Ngati Raukawa occupation of the west coast of the North Island. Ngati Apa leaders Te Hanea and Te Pauhu responded to Rangihaeata's gesture by presenting Te Pikinga with a slab of greenstone called Te Whakahiamoe, which was made into adzes.

Ngati Toa then took affectionate leave of Ngati Apa and returned to Kawhia. But they had laid the groundwork for their return. About 1822 the main migration of Ngati Toa approached the west coast. Hearing of this, a great debate took place amongst Whanganui, Ngati Apa, Rangitane and Muaupoko leaders, not all of whom welcomed the intrusion of Ngati Toa into their territory. Those parts of Ngati Apa that were party to the peace treaty affected by the marriage of Te pikinga and Te Rangihaeata remained loyal to Ngati Toa, and a group of warriors including the young leaders Te Maraki and Mokomoko travelled to Waitotara to greet their kinswoman Te Pikinga. Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata were pleased to see that the pact had held. The two parties lived together at Matahiwi for two months and at Te Awamate for another month.

When Ngati Toa eventually left Rangitikei they were warned by their Ngati Kauae and Ngati Tauira hosts not to molest the Muaupoko people living south of the Manawatu River. Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata agreed, but two of their kinsmen the same day killed a high-born Muaupoko woman named Waimai. This created the grounds for the local tribes to combine against Te Rauparaha. Several Whanganui, Rangitane and Muaupoko leaders, on the pretext of welcomimg Te Rauparaha with a feast of eels at Papa-i-tonga, attacked him and the small party of relatives he was travelling with. Among those killed were Te Rauparaha's eldest son, Te Rangi-hounga-riri his daughter, Te Uira and at least one other of his children. Te Rauparaha and Te Ra-ka-hera were the only people to escape.

Te Rauparaha and Ngati Toa then established themselves on Kapiti Island and commenced retaliation for his losses and the attempt on his life. He attacked Muaupoko and Rangitane. In an attack on Rangitane in the Manawatu, he found that the Ngati Tauira chief Te Maraki was amongst the defenders in the pa. One account is that Te Pikinga was sent into the pa to call on Te Maraki and those that were with him to leave. However he stayed in the pa and was killed when Ngati Toa over ran it.

The death of Te Maraki prompted the coastal sections of Ngati Apa to lead an immediate  attack on Ngati Toa in retribution for this outrage. Te Hakeke from Rangitikei and Turangapito from Turakina are named as the leaders of this war party, though it probably included senior fighting chiefs Te Ahuru O Te Rangi and Te Rangimairehau. Ngati Apa found Ngati Toa and their Te Ati Awa allies in two unfortified positions along the coast between Waikanae and Paraparaumu. The warparty was divided in two and a co ordinated attack was launched on both positions at the same time. Both kainga were routed and over sixty Ngati Toa and Te Ati Awa people were killed.

About 1824 Ngati Apa leaders joined Muaupoko, Rangitane and other tribes of the lower North Island, and relatives from the South Island, in a surprise attack on Ngati Toa at Kapiti. Against overwhelming odds Ngati Toa defeated their attackers at the battle known as Waiorua. Two prominent Ngati Apa leaders of those times were killed, namely Te Ahuru O te Rangi and Te Rangimairehau .

After Waiorua, Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata attacked a Ngati Apa fighting pa on the Rangitikei River called Pikitara which was evacuated by Ngati Apa. Apparently only one person was killed being an elderly Iwi member who was unable to join the evacuation.  At this point Te Rangihaeata sought to resurrect the peace that had collapsed with the killing of Te Maraki. However, his own kin, Te Pehi Kupe wanted further revenge for his losses on the coastline between Waikanae and Paraparaumu where members of his immediate family had been killed. Another attack was launched by Ngati Toa against Ngati Apa at Te Awamate where the marriage of Te Riringa and Te Rangihaeata had been consecrated.  The Ngati Apa leaders Te Rangihauku and Koupeka were killed in this battle and Te Rangihauku's daughter was taken captive. It may have been during this encounter that the Ngati Toa warparty captured Kaewa, the Muaupoko wife of Te Hakeke, whom they encountered at Oroua.

Not long after the defeat of Ngati Apa at Te Awamate, a group of Ngati Toa people occupied Te Poutu, situated directly across the Rangitikei River from Parewanui. The Ngati Rangiwaho fighting chief Mohi Mahi led a small band of Ngati Apa warriors against this party and defeated them, taking Tohiariki captive. After this disaster Te Rangihaeata sent Te Pikinga to her people to make peace. By  the end of the 1820's peace had been restored between Ngati Apa and Ngati Toa.

This turbulent chapter in our history in which Te Pikinga was a very important figure effectively closed with the resurrection of peace. The fact that peace was formally restored is proven by the many visitations of parties of Ngati Apa to Te Pikinga and Rangihaeata to take gifts of food as a means of honouring the relationship. Many sources stated that these parties were treated as honoured guests by Ngati Toa. Other accounts refer to Ngati Apa being able to trade with Europeans at Kapiti which was clearly attributable mainly to Te Pikinga. Importantly, following the defeat at Te Awamate, Ngati Apa was never again defeated in warfare on what is broadly described as Ngati Apa soil and the bond of peace with Ngati Toa was never again broken. Ngati Apa subsequently supported Te Rangihaeata, Ngati Toa and their Ngati Raukawa kin in fighting against Taranaki tribes and in fighting against Whanganui. Also Ngati Raukawa in particular assisted Ngati Apa in fighting against Ngati Kahungunu, Nga Rauru and Whanganui.

Some historians speculate that Ngati Apa's ability to retain traditional land rights is largely attributable to Te Pikinga and her marriage to Te Rangihaeata. Clearly Ngati Apa was not attacked by Ngati Toa to the extent that Muaupoko was attacked or Ngati Apa in the South Island, who appear to have been heavily defeated and persecuted by Ngati Toa and their allies. Instead, Ngati Apa has always maintained our independence and autonomy and whilst we can also claim that it was through our leadership and ability to maintain a military force that we maintained our autonomy, credit must also be given to the special role that Te Pikinga played in protecting our hapu and iwi and giving us strength through association with Ngati Toa and Ngati Raukawa. It is well documented that Te Rangihaeata formally designated Te Pikinga as 'he pou rohe', a connecting link between their tribes.

Whilst Ngati Apa was able to largely settle down after peace was restored, Te Pikinga stayed by Te Rangihaeata's side. Te Rangihaeata continued to live a turbulent life as he became involved in resistance against colonists and colonial forces. He killed several Pakeha prisoners after a short battle at Wairau where colonists from Nelson attempted to arrest Te Rauparaha. In the altercation that followed another of Te Rangihaeata's wives was killed and it was in retribution for this loss that the Pakeha prisoners were executed. He later relocated to Poroutawhao, just south of the Manawatu River where he died and was buried in 1855. It is recorded that Te Pikinga died before Rangihaeata and that he was later buried next to her on the Paeroa hill at Poroutawhao.

Reference: Te Tapikitanga O Apa, Hui-Tanguru 2004 Issue No.2