Te Hikoi Hurumanu

Join us as we retrace parts of this historic journey. Starting at the parking area atop of Remutaka where we will share a karakia to acknowledge the tatau pounamu put in place by our tipuna and then making our way down to a statue of Nuku Pewapewa in Featherston where we will share another karakia in remembrance of our tipuna Nuku Pewapewa and Te Wharepouri and from there we make our way to Hurunui-o-rangi marae at the base of Maungarake maunga, where Te Uamairangi was captured and we will share another karakia to lament those who were lost in the battle from all iwi and to celebrate the beginnings of the peace treaty. From Hururangi marae we make our way to the Copthorne to be welcomed by the Hau Kainga followed by refreshments and speeches from key people and a formal closing of the Wellington Heritage Festival 2024.

The Battle: Taranaki Warriors invade the Wairarapa and deal a crushing defeat to the Rangitane and Ngati Kahungunu Iwi forcing them to leave their homes and retreat back to the Tamaki-nui-a-rua, Manawatu, Heretaunga and back to the Mahia Peninsula.

Guerilla Warfare: a small contingent of Ngati Hamua, Ngati Moe and Te Aomataura Warriors remain behind and employ guerilla like tactic’s on the Taranaki invaders stealing their food burning their huts and then hiding in the hills.

Reinforcements: Rangitane and Ngati Kahungunu return to the Wairarapa under the leadership of Nuku Pewapewa, who has been busy gathering reinforcements to return to the Wairarapa and take back their home, while standing atop the Maungarake mountain range they see hundreds of lights in the valley below and realize that these are the camp sites of the Taranaki invaders.

The Capture: Nuku looks for the brightest of the lights, and attacks that camp which is the camp of Te Wharepouri the Taranaki leader, Taranaki are forced to flee over the Remutaka ranges into the Hutt Valley and Wellington area, Te Wharepouri escapes but his wife Te Uamairangi is captured.

The Gesture: Nuku Pewapewa lets Te Uamairangi return to her husband Te Wharepouri with a message of peace and an end to the conflict between them.

The Hui: Taranaki Iwi leaders meet with Rangitane and Ngati Kahungunu Iwi leaders at Pito-One, Sadly Nuku Pewapewa had died in a boating accident before the hui and so Wairarapa Iwi were represented by one of the leading Wairarapa chiefs of the time Tutepakihirangi.

The Greenstone door: A treaty is set in place through oratory and agreement, Tutepakihirangi spoke on behalf of Nuku Pewapewa and Wairarapa Iwi and said “the waters on this side of Remutaka shall be for you to drink from, and the waters on the other side of Remutaka will be for us to drink from, a tatau pounamu shall sit atop Remutaka that will remind our descendants of the peace between Taranaki Iwi and the Iwi of Wairarapa from this day forth”.