August 25th, 2013 
jono 
Rapata Wahawaha was a chief of Ngati Porou which is situated on the East Cape in the Gisborne area. He was born about 1820and while still a child he was captured in a raid and became the slave of Rapata Whakapuhia whose name he adopted. Years later he worked with former government land agent Donald McLean who was Scottish. McLean’s accent made Rapata’s name sound like Ropata. Most people called him Ropata.
When the Hauhau movement arrived in the East Coast area Ropata did not support them and instead sided with the government. He was outnumbered and out gunned but after receiving supplies from Donald McLean and reinforcements from the settler militia he fought a successful campaign against them. He had a reputation for executing Hauhau followers from his own tribe who were captured.
In 1868 the Government asked Ropata to help defeat Te Kooti who had escaped from the Chatham Islands and started a violent campaign to establish his new Ringatu religion. Te Kooti was defending a Pa at Ngatapa and Major Ropata and Captain Porter lead the attack on it on 4th January 1869. Te Kooti was forced to retreat. In the pursuit several hundred Hauhau prisoners were captured. Around 120 prisoners were shot and thrown over a cliff allegedly on Ropata’s orders.
Te Kooti escaped to the Urewera mountains and later spent time in the Taupo area. Major Ropata was involved in many of the battles. Eventually in early 1870 the government decided that to withdraw the Pakeha militia from the pursuit. The hunt for Te Kooti was left up to Major Ropata and his Ngati Porou forces. Two months later Te Kooti was trapped and most of his Ringatu warriors were captured or killed although Te Kooti himself escaped.
Major Ropata became a leader of the Ngati Porou and was held in high esteem by many Pakeha for his efforts to help destroy the Hauhau forces. In 1878 he was awarded The Sword of Honour from Queen Victoria. On 10 May 1887 he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council. He remained a member until he died in Gisborne on 1st July 1897.
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