Alternative names:
Te Kuhanga Maihi Paraone Kaiwiti
Maihi Paraone Te Kunga Kawiti

Father: Te Ruki Kawiti
Mother: Kawa
Siblings:

Spouses: Hui-nga-riri Te Peke, Heeni Riria Paraone Kawiti, Tere Hakiro
Children with Hui-nga-riri: Hirini Maihi Paraone Kawiti
Children with Heeni: Miria Paraone Kawiti, Neri Kawiti, Piri Matauranga Maihi Paraone, Waa Kawiti, Hohepa “Hohaia Hokino Paraone Kawiti, Huia Rui Reihana (nee. Kawiti), Kirihi Te Riri Katene Kawiti, Toe Maihi Paraone Kawiti

Maihi was born between 1815 and 1830 in Waiomio, Kawakawa, New Zealand.

He was christened as an adult on December 27, 1840 In Waiomio. Adult baptism became increasingly common after the arrival of Anglican missionaries, particularly following the 1830s when Māori began converting in large numbers. By 1840, baptism often symbolized both spiritual commitment and alignment with new forms of social authority.

Davidson, Allan K. Christianity in Aotearoa: A History of Church and Society in New Zealand. Wellington: Education for Ministry, 1991.

Maihi had three wives Heeni, Huingariri and Tere. Polygynous marriages were traditionally practiced among rangatira (chiefly) lines, serving both political and kinship functions, though this practice gradually declined with missionary influence and colonial law by the late 19th century.

Metge, Joan. Marriage in Changing Māori Communities. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs, 1964.

Maihi married Hui-nga-riri about 1840. He then married Heeni about 1862.

Children

With Hui-nga-riri

Hirini was born in 1858 in Kawakawa. He was baptised on December 9, 1877 in Waiomio. Hirini had four children with Ngaurupa Hoori Kingi including son Hori Tahua Paraone Kawiti in 1877, son Tahua Hirini Paraone Kawiti in 1879 and son Hirini Paraone Kawiti in 1886. All children were born in Kawakawa. He died on September 16, 1903 in his hometown at the age of 45.

With Heeni

Matauranga Maihi Paraone was born June 30, 1857 in Waiomio. Conflicting birth and date records suggest there may have been more than one son named Matauranga. He married Mei (Takahi Ao) Harepokaikai about 1896 in Pokapu, Moerewa. They had a daughter Kotiro Ranga Paraone in 1898, daughter Heera Kawiti in 1898, son Tiari Paraone on August 2, 1899, daughter Hera Paraone about 1901, son Hanita Paraone on October 18, 1903, son Hoari Paraone on September 28, 1905, daughter Titi Kawiti in 1908, daughter Nee Paraone on November 14, daughter Ngawhakatauki Paraone on August 5, 1910, daughter Honoteraina Ranga Paraone on February 12, 1911, son Naki Kawiti in 1912, daughter Hinu Paraone on March 2, 1916, and son Rangaranga Paraone on October 27, 1922. Matauranga died on June 30, 1957 in Northland when he was 100 years old.
Miria was born about 1862-63 in Waiomio. In 1919 records show she was living in Auckland. She died June 18, 1943 in her home town.
Son Neri was born about 1864-65 in Waiomio.
Twins Piri and Waa were born in 1868 in Waiomio. Piri died on July 26, 1893 in his hometown at the age of 25. Waa’s date of death is unknown.
Hohepa was born about 1871-74 in Kawakawa. He died in his hometown, although the date is unknown.
Huia was born on April 8, 1873 in Waiomio. She was baptised as an adult on her birthday in 1888 at the Church of Latter Day Saints branch in Waiomio. Also known as Ngahuia, she was known as Kani Mama by her grandchildren. “Huia” is the past tense of “gathering” and “Rui” refers to the chasing away of the spirit from the body lying in state, so some of her family speculate she may have been named or renamed when a family member passed. She died on June 18, 1943 in Waiomio and was buried in the Wairere Cemetery in Waiomio on June 21, 1943.
Kirihi Te Riri Katene Kawiti was born on April 17, 1877 in Kawakawa. He married Ana Maraea Ngawiki Mahanga about 1895. They had a son Tawai Kawiti on April 15, 1899 in Waiomio. Kirihi died on February 20, 1964 in Kawakawa at age 86. He is buried at the Wairere Cemetery in Kawakawa.
Hapata Paraone on December 29, 1879 in Waiomio. He died in 1907 at about age 28.
Te Warati Maihi Paraha (nee. Kawiti) was born in 1881 in Waiomio. She married Kiwi Hare Paraha and together they had 16 children: Toko Kiwi Paraha in 1898, Wiremu Kiwi Paraha in 1902, Paora Kiwi Paraha in 1905, Mahuetanga Kiwi Paraha in 1906, Taki Kiwi Paraha in 1907, Moka Paraha in 1908. Honowairua Paraha in 1909, Te Kara Colin (also known as Karakiahe Paraha) in 1912, Tetikini Kiwi Paraha in 1913, Hokimate Kiwi Paraha in 1915, Mahu Paraha in 1916, Paraone Kiwi Paraha in 1916, Taura Paraha in 1918, Haki Kiwi Paraha in 1918, Tangatakino Paraha in 1920 and Henare Paraha in 1926. Te Warati died on January 18, 1960 in Motatau where records show she had been living since at least 1946.
Toe was born in 1886 In Kawakawa. He was only three when his father died. Toe died on May 19, 1934 in Waiomio.
Te Herewhenua Maihi Kawiti on October 6, about 1887 or 1889 in Waiomio. She died on March 15, 1924 at age 34.

Ancestry.com. New Zealand Gazette. 24 Feb 1870, Manurewa. New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Projectcontribut… — **Figure 3.** Excerpt from the New Zealand Gazette, 24 February 1870, notings Maihi’s appointment to the Bay of Islands Native Office as an Assessor: “Native Office, Wellington, 1st January, 1870. His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint Maihi Paraone Kawiti to be an Assessor for the purposes of ‘The Resident Magistrates Act, 1867;’ ‘The Native Circuit Courts Act, 1858;’ and ‘The Native Circuits Court Act Amendment Act, 1862’ within the District of the Bay of Islands. W. Gisborne (for the Native Minister).” Accessed via Ancestry.com Database. *New Zealand Gazette.* 24 Feb 1870, Manurewa. New Zealand, *The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894* [database on-line]. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Leadership

Unlike his father Kawiti, who was strongly anti-colonial, Maihi Paraone Kawiti became known as a moderate leader and political mediator, working to bridge Māori and Pākehā (European settler) interests during a time of increasing government control over Māori lands and sovereignty.

Orange, Claudia. The Treaty of Waitangi. Wellington: Bridget Williams Books, 1987.
→ See discussions of northern leaders adapting post-conflict, especially pp. 111–114.

A New Zealand Gazette excerpt from 1870 notes Maihi’s appointment as an Assessor for the Bay of Islands district of the Native Office. Under laws such as the Resident Magistrates Act 1867 and Native Circuit Courts Acts, (both cited in the gazette article) an Assessor was a Māori official appointed to assist colonial magistrates in legal proceedings involving Māori, particularly in districts with a large Māori population.

Assessors served as intermediaries: They helped interpret Māori customary law, advised magistrates, and relayed legal decisions back to the community in ways that were culturally grounded. The position was created to acknowledg the mana of respected Māori leaders in a hybrid legal system. Assessors were not fully equal to magistrates but were considered essential for the system to function in bicultural districts.

Ward, Alan. A Show of Justice: Racial ‘Amalgamation’ in Nineteenth Century New Zealand. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 1974.
→ Chapter 4 details the Native Courts and the assessor role.

Maihi’s appointment in 1870 came during a complex era of Post-Land Wars tension. The 1860s had seen widespread conflict between Māori and the Crown over land and sovereignty. In the aftermath, the government sought to extend legal control over Māori through institutions like the Native Office and Native Land Court.

The colonial administration used such appointments to co-opt Māori leadership into the colonial system, sometimes as a form of control, but also to acknowledge local authority. Maihi’s role would have been delicate and likely contentious as he had to balance loyalty to tangata whenua with expectations from the Crown.

Ballara, Angela. Iwi: The Dynamics of Māori Tribal Organisation from c.1769 to c.1945. Wellington: Victoria University Press, 1998.
→ See pp. 343–348 on post-war colonial administration and Māori intermediaries.

Why Was This Appointment Significant?

Recognition of leadership: It officially acknowledged Maihi's authority and ability to represent and manage Māori legal matters in a colonial context.
Influence on legal outcomes: As an Assessor, he would have had input on how justice was administered for Māori in his region.
Positioned him within the system: His role suggests he was seen by the Crown as a trusted negotiator or mediator—someone who could navigate both Māori tikanga and British law.
Symbol of shifting Māori–Crown relations: His appointment reflects the broader trend of integrating (and sometimes co-opting) Māori leaders into administrative frameworks to pacify resistance and facilitate colonial governance.

Binney, Judith. Encircled Lands: Te Urewera, 1820–1921. Wellington: Bridget Williams Books, 2009.
→ Discusses broader patterns of Māori leaders being drawn into governance structures post-conflict (see pp. 172–176 for parallel cases).

Land

Maihi is listed amongst the ingoa o nga Kaitono (applicant/candidate names) for a number of properties

The boundaries for Maihi’s Kawakawa property is described as:

“Timata i te Rori Karaone, haere i uta kei Te Wharau, e huri ana ki te Tonga, ka tika i runga i te raina o Tuihi o te whenua a te Kawanatanga, ka huri ki te hauauru, haere tonu, ka huri ki te Kotiu, kei te kauri, ka marere ki te moana, ka mutu.”

“Starting at the Karaone Road, go inland at Te Wharau, turning South, then straight on the Tuihi line of Government land, turning West, continuing, turning West, through the kauri, and ending at the sea.”

Figure 4.

Another New Zealand Gazette article, this one from February 12, 1885, details the judges decision to dismiss an Application for Rehearing of Claim that Maihi had filed. This hearing took place in Kawakawa on January 14, 1885 and regarded Maihi’s request to investigate the title to lands for “Te Hautapu” and “Ongawhi” areas.

The specifics of Maihi’s title dispute are unclear. If it was a direct dispute with the Crown (e.g., a confiscation or Crown purchase issue), that would often be recorded differently or handled outside a standard title rehearing. The fact that a rehearing was sought implies Maihi disagreed with the original outcome — likely because land had been awarded to another claimant or group, not to the Crown.

Ancestry.com. New Zealand Gazette. 12 Feb 1885, Manurewa. New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Projectcontribut… — New Zealand Gazette article about the dismissal for Maihi’s Application for Rehearing of Claim relating to investigating the title of lands known as “Te Hautapu” and “Ongawhi”. Ancestry.com. *New Zealand Gazette.* 12 Feb 1885, Manurewa. *New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894* [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

“Kawiti brothers Seated: Maihi Paraone Kawiti On Left: Wiremu TePoro Kawiti Wiremu is sitting on the verandah. Standing next to him and looking almost like an identical twin in both features and headdress is his younger brother, Maihi”. *Ancestry.com Database.* Contributed by Joyce Taylor-Scott. Accessed June 5, 2025.

Maihi died on May 21, 1889 in Waiomio, Kawakawa.

Records

New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980. Ancestry.com Database. — *New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980.* Ancestry.com Database. [Link no longer available].

Ancestry.com. New Zealand Gazette. 10 Oct 1880, Manurewa. New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Projectcontribut… — Excerpt from the New Zealand Gazette, 10 October 1880, detailing the judges concluding statement on claims relating to the Native Land Acts 1873-74-78 including Maihi’s land claim for Area 020 named “Manurewa No. 2”. *Ancestry.com Database*. *New Zealand Gazette.* 10 Oct 1880, Manurewa. *New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894* [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Excerpt from the journal of Elder Jame E. Nye who served a mission (Mormon) in the late 1880's. In his journal he wrote having arrived in Waiomio after the death of Maihi. He wrote on the 22 May 1889 they had travelled to Te Horo only to find that all the Maori had gone to the tangi of Maihi.

Dated the 26th of May 1889, 3pm the services begun for Maihi. This Elder said, though they (the Mormons) were to do the funeral services. Other Ministers "Missionary Ministers and white people from Kawakawa conducted the corpse to the grave and laid it away to rest.

“The large canon and a company of artillery of the Maori's brought into use and as the remains drew near the tomb the air was rent with echoes from them.”

He further wrote on the 10th June 1889, there were still many Maori gathered following the burial of Maihi (holding tangi). He further spoke of a little iron safe in one of the upper rooms, which was found a will written by Maihi, bequeathing his lands to his children and nearest relatives.

24 May 1889 Otarawa Cemetery, Waiomio, Kawakawa, Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand
He was originally afforded a Mormon burial at Otarawa Urupa but there is some controversy over the final deposition of his remains. Under the edicts of the old Polynesian religion, the corpse would undergo the hahunga ceremony. This entailed scraping the flesh from the bones then firing them to completely denude the skeleton. It was an important rite since the soul of the deceased would be trapped if any flesh remained, leaving the deceased unable to leap from (Cape) Reinga to make the long voyage back to Hawaiki (mythical Polynesian homeland).

The next step of the hahunga was to temporarily bury the bones in a waka koiwi--a wooden burial chest. Approximately a year after death, the waka koiwi would be recovered, a final blessing offered by a tohunga (sorceror-priest), then the bones would be permanently hidden forever. Often they'd be thrown down a bottomless pit or interred in deep caves. A very real fear was that a hated enemy would defile an ancestor's bones and carve them into personal jewelry such as pendants and earrings.

A rumor persists that a year after Maihi's death some of his old-fashioned kinsmen--who still worshipped the Polynesian pantheon--dug up his remains, performed the hahunga, then reinterred him with his chiefly ancestors in the Ngati Hine burial caves at Waiomio. This story might be apocryphal but it sounds plausible given Maihi's great mana (prestige).

There is an even more bizarre tale associated with Maihi's corporeal body. Andreas Reischek, an Austrian taxidermist who worked for the Wanganui and Auckland Museums in the late 19th century, iis believed to have ransacked Maihi's grave, severed his head, then sent the decomposed cranium back to the Vienna Museum. I'm less confident about this story because a standard DNA comparison between the skull in question with any number of Maihi's descendants (including me) could settle the question definitively.

Exhuming the original Otarawa gravesite would certainly shed light on the veracity of either story. A headless skeleton would prove Reischek to be a filthy grave robber. No skeleton at all would point to Maihi being secreted away to the caves, where he should've gone in the first place in my opinion. But we still wouldn't know if Reischek had purloined Maihi's sacred head beforehand.

Whatever became of him in the afterlife, Maihi stands as one of our most illustrious forebears. He led Ngati Hine from the horror years of internecine tribal warfare, slavery, and cannibalism into the full thrust of the Victorian industrial age. C. Steele

Ancestry.com Database. 1878-1879. BAB Microfilming; Auckland, New Zealand; Collection Title: New Zealand City & Area Directories, 1866-1955; Directory: Wise´s New Zealand Post Office Directory. — Ancestry.com Database. 1878-1879. BAB Microfilming; Auckland, New Zealand; Collection Title: *New Zealand City & Area Directories, 1866-1955*; Directory: *Wise´s New Zealand Post Office Directory.*

Photo of the ivory seal in the shape of Queen Victoria’s hand given to Maihi driving a visit to the north in 1858 by the then governor, Thomas Gore Browne. This gift was a token of unity and lasting peace between Maori and Pakeha. Ancestry.com Datab… — Photo of the ivory seal in the shape of Queen Victoria’s hand given to Maihi driving a visit to the north in 1858 by the then governor, Thomas Gore Browne. This gift was a token of unity and lasting peace between Maori and Pakeha. *Ancestry.com Database*. Contributed by Joyce Taylor-Scott on December 13, 2013. Accessed June 5, 2025. Rongomau seal currently exhibited at the Waitangi Treaty House.

Figures List

Figure 1. Colourised portrait of Maihi. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Joyce Taylor-Scott on December 11, 2013. Accessed June 4, 2025.

Figure 2. Early portrait of Maihi. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Joyce Taylor-Scott on December 11, 2013. Accessed June 4, 2025.

Figure 3. Excerpt from the New Zealand Gazette, 24 February 1870, notings Maihi’s appointment to the Bay of Islands Native Office as an Assessor: “Native Office, Wellington, 1st January, 1870. His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint Maihi Paraone Kawiti to be an Assessor for the purposes of ‘The Resident Magistrates Act, 1867;’ ‘The Native Circuit Courts Act, 1858;’ and ‘The Native Circuits Court Act Amendment Act, 1862’ within the District of the Bay of Islands. W. Gisborne (for the Native Minister).” Accessed via Ancestry.com Database. New Zealand Gazette. 24 Feb 1870, Manurewa. New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Figure 4. Maihi is mentioned in this excerpt from the New Zealand Gazette, 6 March 1882, which details property information such as the name of the applicant (Kaitono), the name of the area and boundarues (Te Rohe). The boundaries for Maihi’s Kawaka property is described as: “Timata i te Rori Karaone, haere i uta kei Te Wharau, e huri ana ki te Tonga, ka tika i runga i te raina o Tuihi o te whenua a te Kawanatanga, ka huri ki te hauauru, haere tonu, ka huri ki te Kotiu, kei te kauri, ka marere ki te moana, ka mutu.” [“Starting at the Karaone Road, go inland at Te Wharau, turning South, then straight on the Tuihi line of Government land, turning West, continuing, turning West, through the kauri, and ending at the sea.”] Ancestry.com Database.New Zealand Gazette. 6 Mar 1882, Manurewa. New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980. Ancestry.com Database. [Link no longer available].

Excerpt from the New Zealand Gazette, 10 October 1880, detailing the judges concluding statement on claims relating to the Native Land Acts 1873-74-78 including Maihi’s land claim for Area 020 named “Manurewa No. 2”. Ancestry.com Database. New Zealand Gazette. 10 Oct 1880, Manurewa. New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

“Kawiti brothers Seated: Maihi Paraone Kawiti On Left: Wiremu TePoro Kawiti Wiremu is sitting on the verandah. Standing next to him and looking almost like an identical twin in both features and headdress is his younger brother, Maihi”. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Joyce Taylor-Scott. Accessed June 5, 2025.

Ancestry.com Database. New Zealand Gazette. 12 Feb 1885, Manurewa. New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Photo of the ivory seal in the shape of Queen Victoria’s hand given to Maihi driving a visit to the north in 1858 by the then governor, Thomas Gore Browne. This gift was a token of unity and lasting peace between Maori and Pakeha. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Joyce Taylor-Scott on December 13, 2013. Accessed June 5, 2025. Rongomau seal currently exhibited at the Waitangi Treaty House.

References

Ballara, Angela. Taua: 'Musket Wars', 'Land Wars' or Tikanga? Warfare in Māori Society in the Early Nineteenth Century. Auckland: Penguin Books, 2003.
“Maihi Paraone Kawiti” Family History Profile. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Glenn Bill Waimarama Kaka. Accessed June 4, 2025.
“Maihi Paraone Kawiti” Family History Profile. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by John Douglas Waters. Accessed June 4, 2025.
“Maihi Paraone Kawiti” Family History Profile. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Moreen Rita Ariki. Accessed June 4, 2025.
Maihi Parone Kawiti in the New Zealand, City & Area Directories, 1866-1954 record. Ancestry.com Database. 1878-1879. BAB Microfilming; Auckland, New Zealand; Collection Title: New Zealand City & Area Directories, 1866-1955; Directory: Wise´s New Zealand Post Office Directory.
“Te Herewhenua Maihi Kawiti” Family History Profile. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Andrew Croft. Accessed June 4, 2025.
“Te Kuhanga Maihi Paraone Kawiti” Family History Profile. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Gaylene Bonnie Hapi. Accessed June 4, 2025.
“Te Kuhanga Maihi Paraone Kawiti” Family History Profile. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Sharron Attwood. Accessed June 4, 2025.
Taylor-Scott, Joyce. “The Name Huia Rui.” Research Notes. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed June 19, 2011. Accessed June 4, 2025.
“When Maihi Died & His Burial” obituary excerpt. Ancestry.com Database. Contributed by Joyce Taylor-Scott.
Source: The Auckland Evening Star, 21 May 1889. Page 5, Death of Marsh Brown.

Appendix

Appendix X: “The Name Huia Rui” Research Notes

Notes Known as Kani Mama by her grandchildren.

Also known as Ngahuia. The name "Mate" included from about 1915.

26 Dec 1990
In discussion today with my cousin: Sheryl, she suggested that Nanny Huia possibly had another name when she was a babe. The name Huia Rui may have derived from Huia(pass tense of gathering) to the funeral of Maihi Kawiti(or someone else), and Rui(chasing away the spirit from the body lying in state).

If this is so, at Maihi's funeral, she was 16 when he died. See who died about the time she was born or was a child.

Appendix X: “When Maihi Died & His Burial” Newspaper Excerpt

From 21 May 1889 obituary, The Auckland Evening Star, p.5, Death of Marsh Brown.
By Murray Armstrong: I have a copy of a journal I was given of an Elder Jame E. Nye who served a mission (Mormon) in the late 1880's. In his journal he wrote having arrived in Waiomio after the death of Maihi. He wrote on the 22 May 1889 they had travelled to Te Horo only to find that all the Maori had gone to the tangi of Maihi.
Dated the 26th of May 1889, 3pm the services begun for Maihi. This Elder said, though they (the Mormons) were to do the funeral services. Other Ministers "Missionary Ministers and white people from Kawakawa conducted the corpse to the grave and laid it away to rest". "The large canon and a company of artillery of the Maori's brought into use and as the remains drew near the tomb the air was rent with echoes from them"

The quotes are as he wrote in his journal.

He further wrote on the 10th June 1889, there were still many Maori gathered following the burial of Maihi (holding tangi). He further spoke of a little iron safe in one of the upper rooms, which was found a will written by Maihi, bequeathing his lands to his children and nearest relatives.
- 24 May 1889 Otarawa Cemetery, Waiomio, Kawakawa, Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand
He was originally afforded a Mormon burial at Otarawa Urupa but there is some controversy over the final deposition of his remains. Under the edicts of the old Polynesian religion, the corpse would undergo the hahunga ceremony. This entailed scraping the flesh from the bones then firing them to completely denude the skeleton. It was an important rite since the soul of the deceased would be trapped if any flesh remained, leaving the deceased unable to leap from (Cape) Reinga to make the long voyage back to Hawaiki (mythical Polynesian homeland).

The next step of the hahunga was to temporarily bury the bones in a waka koiwi--a wooden burial chest. Approximately a year after death, the waka koiwi would be recovered, a final blessing offered by a tohunga (sorceror-priest), then the bones would be permanently hidden forever. Often they'd be thrown down a bottomless pit or interred in deep caves. A very real fear was that a hated enemy would defile an ancestor's bones and carve them into personal jewelry such as pendants and earrings.

A rumor persists that a year after Maihi's death some of his old-fashioned kinsmen--who still worshipped the Polynesian pantheon--dug up his remains, performed the hahunga, then reinterred him with his chiefly ancestors in the Ngati Hine burial caves at Waiomio. This story might be apocryphal but it sounds plausible given Maihi's great mana (prestige).

There is an even more bizarre tale associated with Maihi's corporeal body. Andreas Reischek, an Austrian taxidermist who worked for the Wanganui and Auckland Museums in the late 19th century, iis believed to have ransacked Maihi's grave, severed his head, then sent the decomposed cranium back to the Vienna Museum. I'm less confident about this story because a standard DNA comparison between the skull in question with any number of Maihi's descendants (including me) could settle the question definitively.

Exhuming the original Otarawa gravesite would certainly shed light on the veracity of either story. A headless skeleton would prove Reischek to be a filthy grave robber. No skeleton at all would point to Maihi being secreted away to the caves, where he should've gone in the first place in my opinion. But we still wouldn't know if Reischek had purloined Maihi's sacred head beforehand.

Whatever became of him in the afterlife, Maihi stands as one of our most illustrious forebears. He led Ngati Hine from the horror years of internecine tribal warfare, slavery, and cannibalism into the full thrust of the Victorian industrial age. C. Steele