Whetoi Pomare

 

Ngāpuhi, Te Uri Karaka, Ngāti Manu (? – 1850)

Iwi map - Whetoi PomareIWI / HAPU AFFILIATIONS

Whetoi Pomare belonged to the Ngāpuhi, Te Uri Karaka and Ngāti Manu people of Te Taitokerau. His father was Te Tautoro and his mother was Haki, sister of Pomare-nui. His given name was Whiria. He took the name Whetoi on the occasion of his uncle Pomare's death to remind his people of their duty to avenge their former leader, and became known as Pomare II.

He married Rangingangana of Ngāti Raukawa, only daughter of Chief Whatanui. Both men were painted by Lindauer. This portrait of Whetoi Pomare was painted in 1896, almost 50 years after his death.

Whetoi Pomare signed the Treaty of Waitangi and his mark is the third on the Treaty document.1 Five years after the signing, Pomare's fortress at the headland of Otuihu in the Bay of Islands was bombed by HMS North Star and then razed by its crew.2 He moved his people to the Karetu Valley between Paihia and Kawakawa and opposed the Government and missionary presence in the district up until his death in July 1850.

Some of his descendants still reside in the Karetu valley at Taumarere. Whanau names include the Sullivan's or Harawene's, Pomare's, Pirimona's, Wynyard's, Conlon's, Campbells, Morgan's, Davis and Wilson's.3

NM

  1. John Wilson, ‘Government and nation – The origins of Nationhood’, Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 3 March 2009, accessed 24 February 2010.
  2. Angela Ballara, 'Pomare II ? - 1850', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, updated 22 June 2007, accessed 2 March 2010.
  3. Robert Sullivan, ‘A Brief Introduction’, Aotearoa Ethnic Network (AEN) Journal, vol 1, issue 2, November 2006, p 9-13, http://www.aen.org.nz/journal/1/2/sullivan.html, accessed 2 March 2010.
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