The search for a king - Māori King movement map

Matene Te Whiwhi of Ngāti Raukawa journeyed from Ōtaki across much of the North Island in the mid-1850s. He asked a number of rangatira if they were willing to help Māori retain their land and mana by becoming the Māori king. If not, could they suggest suitable candidates? Eventually Pōtatau Te Wherowhero of Waikato accepted the nomination. He was installed at Ngāruawāhia in June 1858.

In 1854 Matene Te Whiwhi of Ngāti Raukawa set out from Ōtaki to see Tōpia Peehi Tūroa of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi (upper Whanganui River) at Pūtiki.

At Pūtiki, Tōpia Peehi Tūroa supported the idea of a Māori king, but declined to take the position himself. He suggested that Iwikau Te Heuheu of Ngāti Tūwharetoa be approached.

Tōpia declared:
'Toku maunga ko Matemate-a-onga, toku moana ko Whanganui, nga ika o roto, he toitoi, he inanga.'
'My mountain is Matemate-a-onga, my waters are Whanganui, the fish within are toitoi and whitebait.'

Matene Te Whiwhi now headed for Tokaanu to gauge Iwikau Te Heuheu's willingness to be king.

At Tokaanu, Iwikau Te Heuheu declined the kingship:
'Ko Tongariro te maunga, ko Taupo te moana, ko Te Heuheu te tangata. Ko te waenganui hoki tenei o te motu nei hei huinga mo nga roma (awa) o tetehi taha, o tetehi tahataha. Tirohia ia na, ko nga ika o taua moana he kokopu, he koura, he koaro.'
'Tongariro is the mountain, Taupo is the sea, Te Heuheu is the man. This is also the middle of the island where the great rivers of each side converge. Look and you will see that the fish of those waters are the kokopu, the cray and the koaro.'

Matene Te Whiwhi then carried on to the Bay of Plenty.

At Ngongotahā, Te Amohau stated:
'Me hari ki a Te Hapuku, i te mea, kaore au e tika.'
'Take it to Te Hapuku, I am not the right one [to be king].'

Matene Te Whiwhi then left for Te Hauke in Hawke's Bay.

At Te Hauke, Te Hapuku turned down the kingship.

So Matene Te Whiwhi travelled to Ūawa on the East Coast.

At Ūawa, Te Kani-ā-Takirau declared:
'E tika ana he rangatira au, he uri hoki no o koutou tupuna; engari ko te he, he piri taha tahi. Ko toku maunga ko Hikurangi, ehara i te maunga haere. Kaore ahau e whakaae.'
'You are correct, I am a chief, a descendant of your ancestors. However, the problem is that my pedigree adheres to only one people. My mountain, Hikurangi, does not move. I do not agree

Attention now turned back to the central North Island.

At a hui at Pūkawa in late 1856, arranged in opposition to further land sales to Pākehā, the subject of a Māori king was discussed again.

Iwikau Te Heuheu declined a second time and proposed that Pōtatau Te Wherowhero of Waikato be approached.

It was now clear that Pōtatau Te Wherowhero was the popular choice, and he accepted the kingship at Paetai in Waikato in May 1857.

Pōtatau Te Wherowhero was installed as the first Māori King at Ngāruawāhia in June 1858. He summed up his task in the words:
'Kotahi ano te kowhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro ma, te miro pango, me te miro whero.'
'The needle has but one eye through which to pass white, black and red threads.

At Pōtatau Te Wherowhero's installation, many chiefs of the North Island laid their lands and services at his feet. Many mountains became pou (markers) of the King movement's territory.