Mātenga Paerata

Nga Tohu

In 1840 more than 500 chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document. Ngā Tohu, when complete, will contain a biographical sketch of each signatory.


Signing

SignatureSheetSigned asProbable nameTribeHapūSigning Occasion
173Sheet 1 — The Waitangi SheetMatenga PaerataMātenga PaerataTe RarawaTe PatukorahaKaitāia 28 April 1840

Mātenga Paerata signed the Treaty of Waitangi on 28 April 1840 at Kaitāia. Paerata also signed He Whakaputanga – the 1835 Declaration of Independence.

In 1834 he guided the missionary William Gilbert Puckey along Te Ara Wairua, the ‘spirit trail’ to Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Rēinga) at the top of the North Island.

 

 


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Anonymous

Posted: 07 Feb 2020

According to extracts from W Puckey's Journals as published in the CMR:
- 1834: Puckey and six natives "and Paerata, an old chief and guide" set out on their journey to Te Reinga.
- 1839: "Paerata, the Chief who accompanied me to the Reinga, has been baptized by the venerable name of Marsden".
- 1862, Sept 5: Puckey "went to Kareponia to visit the sick, found one nearly blind "old Matenga" (Marsden), he told me he was nearly blind and could not see the way to Church. ... this is the person who in former years used to accompany me on most of my journeying ... He is now too old to walk very far."

Raiha Marsden

Posted: 13 Sep 2017

Matenga Paerata married Ere. She was the daughter of Rawiri and Ruta Awarau, both from the Ngaitakoto tribe. Rawiri was a signatory of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Matenga had a son, Hoani Matenga Paerata who married Hana (nee-Toi) from Omapere. Hokianga,had a son the Rev. Maori Marsden, who than had the writer.