Flagstaff War - Hone Heke Moves Against Kororareka

Hone Heke Moves Against Kororareka

Hone Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti worked out the plan to draw the Colonial forces into battle, with the opening provocations focusing on the flagstaff on Maiki Hill at the north end Kororareka.

In July 1844 Kotiro, a former slave of Heke, openly insulted the Ngāpuhi chief. Kotiro had been captured from a southern tribe 15 years earlier, and was now living with her English husband, the town butcher, in Kororareka openly insulted the Ngāpuhi chief. There are differing stories as to the specific insult or the circumstances in which it was delivered. Cowan (1922) describes Kotiro as while bathing with other women, during a heated argument about Heke, she dismissed him as an upoko poaka or a pigs head; and that upon hearing of this insult Heke used the insult as a reason to begin his attack on the town. Carleton (1874) used the presence of Kotiro, and her status, as pretext for a taua — a raid upon Kororareka.

"It happened that a slave girl belonging to Heke, Kotiro by name, was living at Kororareka with a butcher named Lord. Heke, having a colourable right to recover his slave. A karere was sent ahead, to announce the intention; the message was delivered to the woman in the butcher's shop, where several fat hogs were hanging up. Kotiro answering contemptuously of their power to take her away, pointing to one of the hogs, said, ina a Heke . In any event Heke used the insult as a reason to enter the town, to demand payment from Lord as compensation for the insult. Satisfaction was refused: for several days Heke and his warriors remained in the town persisting in the demand, but, in reality, feeling their way, trying the temper of the Pākehā. The Auckland Chronicle reported the incident as such

" brandished their tomohawks in the faces of the white people, indecently treated some white females, and exposed their persons; they took everything out of house...."