Artwork Information

Taonui Hīkaka lived on the upper Mōkau River in Taranaki and was probably born in the early 1840s. He was named after his father, who belonged to Ngāti Rora, a hapū (subtribe) of Ngāti Maniapoto. His mother may have been Niapo of Ngāti Hia. According to his biographer, Hīkaka fought alongside his father, gaining a considerable reputation as a fighting leader. When his father died, Hīkaka assumed leadership over his people. Hīkaka is also known to have protested the Native Land Court, which was set up in 1865 to administer the sale of Māori whenua (land), converting communally held land to individual title. Conflicting value systems, an unfamiliar administrative process and unfair dealings often forced Māori into leasing or selling their whenua, with the Court offering little relief.

Gottfried Lindauer portrays Hīkaka as a man of great presence. Dressed in a resplendent kahu kiwi (kiwi feather cloak) and sporting a kuru pounamu (greenstone pendant) that hangs from his right ear by a long piece of black ribbon, he looks every part the chief.