Draft:Māori Intertribal Wharekauri Conflict

This was the conflict between the invading Ati Awa Māori tribes on Wharekauri (Māori name for Chatham Islands). The invading tribes were the Ngati Mutunga and Ngati Tama. It took place in the 1840s during the genocide and enslavement of the Moriori.

Causes
Before the tribes invaded the Chatham Islands they had an agreement where they would claim the lands when both arrive. In 1835 the Ngati Tama arrive first. They claimed the best lands before the Ngati Mutunga arrived. These lands were Waitangi and Kaingaroa.

The Ngati Mutunga were jealous of them. They didn't have access to trade with whalers. They also couldn't reach particular important seafood areas.

In 1836 a French whaling ship Jean Bart entered the Waitangi Bay. Māori visitors came aboard the ship from both tribes. Accounts of what happen fully are "confusing" and vary. It was sanked due to French panic in fact and not Maori attacks. The Ngati Mutunga were falsely accused of seizing the ship. Ngati Tama were not as strong as they were after the assault from the French warship Cécille. The Ngati Mutunga leader Wiremu Piti Pōmare (?-1851) saw the weakened Ngati Tama as an opportunity to claim Waitangi.

War
This war took place over a short period of time. The conflict started in 1840 but peace soon came 1842. This battle involve the usage of muskets. During the war restraint appeared to be shown due to both sides having relatives on the opposing side.

First Battle
In 1840 a party of Ngati Mutunga was gather to drive out the Ngati Tama from Waitangi. This party was led by subchief Tauru Matioro aka Matioro. Their target was the Kaimataotao pā (fortified refuge or settlement). It was an entrance to the Waitangi. They setup an entrenchment before firing upon the Ngati Tama in Kaimataotao pa. The pa of both groups had modernizations due to muskets being added to Māori warfare. Te Ahipaura, the first born son of a leading matuas (old men) of Ngati Mutunga was shot dead during this battle. A Ngati Tama named Toko was killed. This made the Ngati Mutunga even more interested in driving out the Ngati Tama. This led to a siege. After food started to get low the Ngati Tama realize they couldn't outlast them.

Neutrality
Kekerewai were group that consisted of those allied with the Ngati Tama however they were mainly a Ngati Mutunga hapu (clan). After the first battle the Kekerewai allied with the Ngati Tama were neutral during the conflict with the possible exception of their leader Raumoa who was related to Te Ahipaura's father and consider Te Ahipaura his son due to kinship. The reason(s) for this decision are not known. It should be stated that both tribes were related to each other.

Peace Attempt
In May 1840 a crew from a ship named Cuba tried to end the conflict. They were a survey ship from a company called New Zealand Company. They succeeded in preventing big Ngati Tama casualties. The company wanted owners to deal with. They thought the conflict would annihilate the Ngati Tama. The people wanted to be able to buy Chatham Islands.

Kidnapping
Late in 1840 the Ngati Tama as well as their allies moved to Waikeri. A group of Ngati Mutunga went after then and laid a trap. As a result Ngati Tama Pohitaka was taken captive by Ngati Mutunga. He was the younger brother of Ngati Tama leader Wiremu Kingi Meremere. Pohitaka was killed with a tomahawk by a Ngati Mutunga named Tangari Te Umu as revenge for Ahipaura.

Second Battle
A party of Ngati Mutunga led by a man named Tatua fought a Ngati Tama party led by Meremere which resulted in one being injured and two being killed on the Mutunga side as well as one being injured on the Tama side. Peace was proclaimed between the two groups after this.

End of Conflict
What contributed to the end of this conflict late in 1842 was the conversion of individuals from both groups to the Church of England. A group of missionaries from the Church came to the area and converted many of the individuals as well as others to the faith. These missionaries were Wiremu Tamihana Te Neke, Hakaria Te Iwikaha, and Pita Hongihongi. Ngati Mutunga won at the end of this conflict. The Ngati Tama went back to their homeland.