Commemorations marking the 180th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka Pā were held at Kawiti marae in Waiomio over the weekend, drawing hundreds of people from across the country.
The gathering honoured the final major engagement of the Northern War, fought in 1845–46 between Ngāpuhi and British forces.
Te Ruapekapeka Trust chair and Ngāti Hine descendant Pita Tipene says the pā holds deep significance for mana whenua, and the anniversary was an important moment of remembrance.
“I konei i patere ai te toto mō te rangatiratanga te take, nā reira, he rā nui, he kaupapa nui.”
Green Party MP and descendant of the region Hūhana Lyndon says Ruapekapeka is a critical part of the country’s history that must be passed on to future generations.
“Me ako te hapori ki roto i ngā kura, ki roto i ngā kaupapa pēnei i ngā pākehā e puta mai ana me tō rātou hiahia ki te mārama ki ēnei o ngā pakanga ki tā te Māori.”
The battle of Ruapekapeka
The campaign that culminated in the Battle of Ruapekapeka followed the fall of Kororāreka in March 1845 and a series of engagements between British forces and Ngāpuhi in the Bay of Islands.
By late 1845, Governor George Grey authorised a major expedition against the new inland pā at Ruapekapeka, constructed by Ngāti Hine rangatira Te Ruki Kawiti.
British forces, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Despard, began moving towards Ruapekapeka in December 1845.
The force numbered between 1,100 and 1,600 troops, including British regulars, colonial militia, and kūpapa Māori allies, notably Ngāpuhi under Tāmati Wāka Nene.
The advance involved hauling approximately 30 tonnes of artillery, ammunition, and supplies through difficult terrain. By the end of December, British forces were in position around the pā.
Bombardment began in late December and continued into January 1846.
By 10 January, the number of defenders inside the pā had reduced, though Te Ruki Kawiti and his people remained committed to resisting the assault. The main British attack took place on 11 January 1846.
Despite suffering losses and the eventual abandonment of the pā, Māori did not forfeit their rights to the surrounding land. The conflict concluded with a truce between Te Ruki Kawiti and Governor Grey, rather than a formal surrender.
Hūhana Lyndon says the war was not only a fight between Māori and Pākehā but was also a fight between relations.
“Ko te kaupapa mō tēnei wā maumahara, mō Te Ruapekapeka, ko te mere whakakopa. Nōreira, ko tēnei mea, te mere whakakopa e pā ana ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tēnei mere pounamu i hoatu a Hone Heke ki a Kawiti, i mukua i te tūtae o te tangata. Nōreira, ko tēnei mere pounamu e rite ana, e mau ana i te tino rangatiratanga o te iwi Māori engari nā te tūtae o te tangata i mukua ki runga ka takahi, ka rāweke. Nōreira, mai i tērā tauira i tērā rautau tae noa ki tēnei wā he aha te rerekētanga? Kei te rāweke tonu, kei te takahi tonu.”
Mere whakakopa
The commemoration also included the remembrance of the mere whakakopa, a mere pounamu gifted by Hōne Heke to Te Ruki Kawiti during the Northern War.
Historical accounts record that the weapon was deliberately smeared with human excrement as a symbolic act of resistance.
Hūhana Lyndon says the act represented opposition to British authority and remains relevant in understanding the motivations of Māori leaders at the time.
“Ko te kaupapa mō tēnei wā maumahara, mō Te Ruapekapeka, ko te mere whakakopa. Nō reira, ko tēnei mea, te mere whakakopa e pā ana ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tēnei mere pounamu i hoatu a Hone Heke ki a Kawiti, i mukua i te tūtae o te tangata.
“Nō reira, ko tēnei mere pounamu e rite ana, e mau ana i te tino rangatiratanga o te iwi Māori engari nā te tūtae o te tangata i mukua ki runga ka takahi, ka rāweke. Nō reira, mai i tērā tauira i tērā rautau tae noa ki tēnei wā he aha te rerekētanga? Kei te rāweke tonu, kei te takahi tonu.”
Tipene says the commemoration also highlights the ongoing importance of unity among Māori, drawing lessons from the events at Ruapekapeka.
“Ko tētahi o ngā kaupapa nui i te mea, ko ētahi o ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi i te whawhai mā roto i te pā, ko ētahi kei waho i te pā e whawhai tahi ana me te hoia Pākehā. Nā reira, kua horaina te kaupapa, me mutu te maukino tētahi ki tētahi. Kia kaua e tukuna ki ngā mokopuna, ki ngā uri kei te heke mai hei mau i ērā maukino.”
