Te Puea was grand-daughter of Tawhiao, the second Māori king. She was a chieftainess of the Waikato and Maniapoto tribes. She negotiated a final agreement on the confiscated tribal lands of the Waikato people in 1929. She identified herself with the Māori King movement and established the Kingite movement headquarters in Ngaruawahia. Te Puea was one of the key Māori women of the 20th century and was pivotal in promoting the arts and crafts. In 1937 she was awarded the C.B.E. for her contributions to the welfare of the Māori race.
Biographical sources
Poetry
- "E noho, e Rata/Remain, Rata." The Penguin Book of New Zealand Verse. Ed. Harvey McQueen and Ian Wedde. Trans. Margaret Orbell. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1985. 133-135.
- This song has also been attributed to Kingi Tahiwi from Otaki.
Other
- "Death of Princess Te Puea." Te Ao Hou 2 (1952): 33. In English and Māori.
- "Sacred Funeral Tangi for Te Puea." Te Ao Hou 3 (1952/53): 3-5.
- King, Michael. Te Puea. Auckland, N.Z.: Hodder and Stoughton, 1977.
- Ramsden, Eric. "Princess Te Puea, The Maker of Māori Kings." People 3 (1951).
- Ramsden, Eric. "Memories of Princess Te Puea." Te Ao Hou 3 (1952-53): 7-8.
- This is the text of Ramsden’s talk which was broadcast on October 15, 1952 at 9pm.
- Ramsden, Eric. "Te Puea Herangi CBE, 1884-1952." Journal of the Polynesian Society 61 (1952): 192-208.
- Te Puea Herangi: From Darkness to Light. Wellington, N.Z.: School Publications Branch, Department of Education, 1984.
- Erai, Michelle, Fuli, Everdina, Irwin, Kathie and Wilcox, Lenaire. Māori Women: An Annotated Bibliography. [Wellington, N.Z.]: Michelle Erai, Everdina Fuli, Kathie Irwin and Lenaire Wilcox, 1991. 16, 26.