Rangi Topeora | |
---|---|
Born | 1790? Kawhia, Waikato |
Died | 1873? |
Allegiance | Ngāti Toa |
Battles/wars | Waiorua on Kāpiti Island |
Relations | Te Rauparaha, Te Rangihaeata |
Rangi Kuīni Wikitōria Topeora (?–1865-1873?) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader or chief, peacemaker and composer of waiata. Of Māori descent, she identified with the Ngāti Toa iwi. [1]
Topeora was born in Kawhia, King Country, New Zealand, perhaps in 1790. [1] [2] Topeara was a niece of significant chief Te Rauparaha, her brother was chief Te Rangihaeta. Her mother name was Waitohi and Te Rauparaha's sister. Her father's name was Te Rakiherea. [2] She was a descendant of Hoturoa of the Tainui canoe. In the 1820s Topeora was part of the group that migrated south with Te Rauparaha from Kawhia ending firstly on Kāpiti Island. [2]
Topeora was a female chief of Ngāti Toa and spoke for her people, [3] in 1836 she helped broker peace between Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Tama over a land dispute including getting her son Matene involved. [2] Probably in her early 50s she signed the Treaty of Waitangi in Kāpiti on 14 May 1840. [4] Topeora was known to speak formally on the marae which was mostly a role men undertook during this time. [2] In 1861 she made a denunciation of the Kingitanga due to its distribution of the 'status quo' including writing to politician Donald McLean. [3]
She was baptised at Ōtaki on 2 May 1847, no name would satisfy her but Te Kuini (the Queen); one of her husbands was given the name Arapeta (Albert), after Queen Victoria's consort. Later she was commonly known as the 'Queen of the South'. [1]
Topeora composed a song called He Kai-oraora na Tope-ora which was a 'kaioraora', a cursing song to vent hatred at enemies. This song was because of deaths of some Ngāti Toa women by the iwi Ngāti Pou. [3] Another song she created was about a triumphant moment at the battle of Waiorua on Kāpiti Island where she forced the enemy to degradate themselves. [2]
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)