Rangi Topeora (?–1865-1873?) or Te Rangitopeora was a leader or chief of the

Ngāti Toa Ngāti Toa, also called Ngāti Toarangatira or Ngāti Toa Rangatira, is a Māori people, Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) based in the southern North Island and the northern South Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Toa remains a small iwi with a population of ...

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

(tribe) of New Zealand, a peacemaker and composer of waiata (songs).

Biography

Topeora was born into the Ngāti Toa tribe in

Kawhia Kawhia Harbour () is one of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located to the south of Raglan Harbour, Ruapuke and Aotea Harbour, 40 kilometres southwest of Hamilton, Ne ...

, New Zealand, probably in the early 19th century, but perhaps in 1790. Her mother was Waitohi, sister of

Te Rauparaha Te Rauparaha ( – 27 November 1849) was a Māori rangatira, warlord, and chief of the Ngāti Toa iwi. One of the most powerful military leaders of the Musket Wars, Te Rauparaha fought a war of conquest that greatly expanded Ngāti Toa south ...

, and her maternal grandmother was Parekōwhatu of

Ngāti Raukawa Ngāti Raukawa is a Māori iwi (tribe) with traditional bases in the Waikato, Taupō and Manawatū/ Horowhenua regions of New Zealand. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa. History Early history Ngāti ...

. Her father was Te Rākaherea. Topeara's brother was the chief Te Rangihaeata. She was a descendant of

Hoturoa According to Māori tradition, Hoturoa was the leader of the ''Tainui'' canoe, during the migration of the Māori people to New Zealand, around 1400. He is considered the founding ancestor of the Tainui confederation of tribes (iwi), who now in ...

of the Tainui canoe. She first married Te Rātūtonu of Ngāti Māhanga in Taranaki in 1818; he died in about 1822. She then married Rangikapiki and they had son

Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi (? – 28 September 1881), sometimes called Te Whiwhi-o-te-rangi, was a notable New Zealand Māori tribal leader, missionary and assessor. His mother was Rangi Topeora, niece of Te Rauparaha, sister of Te Rangihaeata ...

. She also married Te Wehi-o-te-rangi of

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori people, Māori iwi and hapū (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the ''Arawa (canoe), Arawa'' migration canoe (''waka''). The tribes are based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plent ...

and they had daughter Rākapa Kahoki. In the 1820s Topeora was part of the Ngāti Toa migration led by Te Rauparaha, south from Kawhia, ending on

Kapiti Island Kapiti Island (), sometimes written as Kāpiti Island, is an island nature reserve located off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand and within the Kāpiti Coast District. Parts of the island were previously farmed, but it is ...

. In 1836 she helped broker peace between Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa and

Ngāti Tama Ngāti Tama is a Māori people, Māori iwi, tribe of New Zealand. Their origins, according to oral tradition, date back to Tama Ariki, the chief navigator on the Tokomaru (canoe), Tokomaru waka (canoe), waka. Their historic region is in north Tar ...

in a dispute over the sale of Maenene pā on Kapiti Island to a European, allowing her son Te Whiwhi to be involved in peace negotiations. Topeora was a female chief of Ngāti Toa and spoke for her people. She signed the

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...

at Kapiti on 14 May 1840. She was known to speak formally on the

marae A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...

, which was mostly done by men. In 1861 she made a denunciation of the Kingitanga due to its distribution of the 'status quo', including writing to politician Donald McLean. When 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'. Topeora composed the song "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. Another song she created was about a triumphant moment in the battle of Waiorua on Kapiti Island in 1824 where she mounted and stood astride the gateway of the pā, forcing the attacking enemy to pass between her legs, thus degrading themselves.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Topeora, Rangi Year of death uncertain Ngāti Toa people 19th-century Māori tribal leaders 19th-century New Zealand women composers New Zealand Māori women singers Signatories of the Treaty of Waitangi Year of birth unknown 19th-century deaths