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Hari Hemara Wahanui 1862 - 1919 Ngati Manaipoto chief

Biography

Hari Hemara Wahanui or Hari Te Whanonga, also known as Reihana Huatare was born about 1862 at Kariki in Otorohanga. He was the son of Hemara Rerehau Te Whanonga, a high ranking chief of the Ngati Maniapoto tribe. His mother, Rangituia Te Kotuku, also belonged to Ngati Maniapoto. Hari was raised as a Christian and educated at Wesleyan College at Three Kings, Auckland where he followed in the footsteps of his uncle Wahanui Reihana Huatare the great Ngati Maniapoto leader who was also educated at the same place.

Hari was one of the most influential men among the whole of the Native tribes. He was blessed with a magnificent physique, and in it both mind and character were well balanced. Everywhere he bore the reputation of a Christian gentlemen, and he never hesitated to acknowledge his indebtedness to the Church of Christ. He was a member of the "Wesleyan" Church, took an active part in the councils, and was himself a local minister. In the tribal assemblies he was ever its champion, and when occasionally needed would defend its doctrines and assert his authority. In one of the Native meetings, he made a most insistent appeal for a progressive policy to be adopted throughout the Rohe-potae.

His father was a commander of Reihana Te Huatare's war party during the Waikato Land wars at Pukekohe, Hairini and Orakau. After Orakau Hemara served as a general for King Tawhiao's guards and stood beside the King until his death at Parawera in 1894.

Hari's first settlement was at Te Miro-a-Huiao near the township of Piopio where a big meeting was held for the people of Ngati Maniapoto to discuss the petition about the Rohe-potae before it was sent with Wahanui Huatare down to Wellington in 1883. This petition was done before the opening of the Rohe-potae case. Their was another settlement within that location called Wairamarama where the Prophet Te Kooti Rikirangi, and King Tawhiao were living but sometime later they were told by Wahanui Huatare to go and reside in Te Kuiti among the tribe of Ngati Maniapoto.

Hari had two wives his first wife was Pareaute Patupatu, they had one child named Tiki Waireti. When she died he remarried his second wife Matehuirua Poto Tanirau Muraahi of Ngati Paretekawa, they were married 22/8/1890 at Napinapi about five km from the township of Piopio, they had 5 living children: Kohatu, the oldest, Paraone, Tahana, and two daughters Wairingiringi and Roimata. He was an adviser to the Kingitanga, an expert in traditional Whakapapa, Maoridom, Minister of the Methodist church, a chairman/representative for the Maori race at the commemoration's of Orakau in 1914, a Native/Maori Land Court assessor and chairman/secretary of the Runanga o Ngati Maniapoto. Hari's Whakapapa knowledge and history throughout the Tainui and Ngati Maniapoto district were traditions handed down (korero tuku iho) from many of his kaumatua including, Rewi Manga Maniapoto, and Wahanui Reihana Huatare. All his ancestral and tribal traditions including Whakapapa were kept in a large-format, pigskin-bound book that was in the possession of his youngest son Tahana Wahanui of Otorohanga who then gave it to the Maori Queen Te Atairangikahu who had the diary in her care until it was returned to family members.

After the death of Reihana Huatare Wahanui his mana descended to Hari it was agreed by many of the hapu of Ngati Maniapoto, Wahanui was a close relative to the latter. In 1900 he was one of the North Island Maori Chiefs who went to Wellington with King Mahuta to advise in respect to legislation affecting the Maori Race. He was a representative for Rewi Manga Maniapoto at the Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1897. Five years later Hari represented his people at the Coronation of King Edward VII held in 1902, according to Sir James Carroll (Timi Kara) the policy was that the men for this journey to England should all be of rangatira birth, and should be chosen from all parts of Aotearoa. In 1904, in preparation for a petition for changes to Maori Lands administration acts, Pepene Eketone and John Ormsby, assisted by Hari Wahanui and other Ngati Maniapoto, published, Ko te Kawenata o Ngati Maniapoto me ona hapu maha (the covenant of Ngati Maniapoto with all its hapu), an elaborate genealogy of Ngati Maniapoto together with lists of personal names, hapu names and villages.

In 1911 a great gathering of Maori was held at Te Kuiti pa for two days which attracted visitors from all parts of the Islands and some very valuable speeches were contributed by various native members of the race. The objects of the meeting included the discussion of 1. Maori brotherhood. 2. Laws of the country. 3. Religion. They had two fountain heads - King Mahuta and Sir James Carroll. Hari Hemara wahanui was the creator, and also the Chairman/secretary of that great gathering who wrote the minutes in Maori.