Te Whiti (?-1907) was a leader of New Zealand’s Indigenous (native) Māori people. He became known for his support of Māori rights and for his philosophy of passive resistance. During the 1870’s and 1880’s, he opposed European settlement on land that colonial authorities had taken in southern Taranaki, on New Zealand’s North Island.
According to Māori oral tradition, Erueti Te Whiti-o-Rongomai was born either in 1816 or 1817, or the early 1830’s. He was descended from the Te Ātiawa iwi (tribe). He received education from Christian missionaries and had a thorough knowledge of the Bible. In the mid-1860’s, he established the village of Parihaka in southern Taranaki. From this base, he encouraged Māori to stay aloof from European settlers. He urged them to resist European intrusions onto Māori land passively—that is, without violence.
In 1879, colonial authorities had plans to confiscate 16,000 acres (6,470 hectares) of traditionally Māori land on the Waimate Plains, in southern Taranaki. Surveyors began laying out the area and did not set aside any land for Māori.
Te Whiti and his followers responded with acts of protest. They plowed land in an attempt to slow the pace of European development and occupation. Te Whiti’s settlement at Parihaka quickly became a sanctuary for many Māori who had become landless. The settlement became a successful self-sufficient community. In the process, it became a symbol of hope and Māori independence. Te Whiti’s followers adopted the white albatross feather as a symbol of their nonviolent movement.
European settlers, angered by the Māori acts of protest, forced the colonial government to act against Te Whiti. On Nov. 5, 1881, an armed force, led by Native Minister John Bryce, marched on Parihaka and arrested Te Whiti and his main supporters. Bryce’s troops destroyed the settlement and brutally attacked its inhabitants. Te Whiti was arrested, held without trial, and imprisoned for two years. He died on Nov. 18, 1907.
Today, white albatross feathers are still worn at times by some Te Ātiawa and other Taranaki Māori. They continue to serve as a reminder of Te Whiti’s peaceful mission.
