The Forgotten Prophet: Tamati Te Ito and his Kaingarara Movement
Author:
Jeffrey Sissons
Publisher:
Bridget Williams Books
ISBN:
9781991033482
Date published:
1 September 2023
Pages:
280
Format:
Paperback
RRP:
$49.99
Tāmati Te Ito Ngāmoke, a renowned Taranaki prophet, played a significant role in colonial New Zealand’s political landscape. While some, including most settlers and offcials, viewed him as an ‘imposter’, a ‘wizard’, a ‘fanatic’; others, including major Taranaki tribal leaders, revered him as a prophetic tohunga matakite known as ‘Te Kai-ngārara’ – The Reptile Eater. Today, overshadowed by religious leaders like Te Ua Haumēne and Te Whiti o Rongomai, Te Ito’s historical importance remains largely unrecognised. This book uncovers his story and impact on Aotearoa’s history.
In 1856 Te Ito led the Kaingārara movement, seeking the ‘fulfilment of the divine order’ in Taranaki when tapu would finally be defeated. Initiating the ‘Taranaki iconoclasm’, his followers built huge bonfi res in New Plymouth and settlements to the south into which treasures, carvings and other tapu objects that had been associated with atua (ancestral spirits) were thrown. The movement established a school and court system and contemplated a religious community before the fi rst Taranaki war erupted in 1860. As the visionary advisor to Te Ātiawa chief Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke, Te Ito played a crucial role in the lead-up to the confl ict, later orchestrating fi res that displaced settlers. Perceived as a rival to Parihaka prophets Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi in the late 1860s–1870s, Te Ito eventually joined Parihaka in 1872 as a respected leader under Te Whiti and Tohu’s mana.
Jeffrey Sissons’ remarkable account, based on extensive research, offers a fresh perspective on New Zealand’s past by illuminating the life and contributions of a key religious leader previously unacknowledged.
About the author:
Jeffrey Sissons, a prominent anthropological researcher and writer in Aotearoa New Zealand, recently retired as an Associate Professor in the Cultural Anthropology Programme at Te Herenga Waka / Victoria University of Wellington. Sissons’ extensive research encompasses colonialism, cultural change, and the cultural history of Māori and the Cook Islands. He has authored fi ve books and numerous journal articles. The research for The Forgotten Prophet was supported by a three-year Marsden Fund grant.
