Nopera Pana-kareao was a noted Te Rarawa chief of Te Patu hapū. He had early engagements with the missionaries and soon became a Christian convert. He also supported the first British resident, James Busby, was a signatory to the 1835 Declaration of Independence and supported Lieutenant Governor William Hobson when he arrived in Kaitaia in April 1840.

During a meeting in April 1840 he spoke last. He reminded his people of his status and said he wished them to accept Hobson. He then uttered his most famous words: 'What have we to say against the governor, the shadow of the land will go to him but the substance will remain with us'. He suggested the analogy of the governor as a helmsman for the ship, New Zealand.

After he had spoken, the other chiefs hastened to follow his example by signing the Treaty.

Around a year after signing the Treaty Pana-kareao had become dissatisfied by the governor's performance. Richard Taylor, for the Christian Mission Service, summarised Pana-kareao's views: “He thought the shadow of the land would go to the Queen and the substance remain with them; but now he fears the substance of it will go to them and the shadow only be their [the Māori] portion.' Pana-kareao's dissatisfaction stemmed from quarrels he had with Te Aupouri and Ngā Puhi over the sale of land to Pākehā-Māori, and the extent of his authority.” ¹

Nopera Pana-kareao

 

He rangatira rongonui a Nopera Pana-kareao o Te Rarawa, ko tōna hapū ko Te Paatu.  I tūtaki wawe ia ki ngā mihingare, kāore i roa i muri i tēnei i huri ia hei Karaitiana tūturu.  I tautokona hoki e ia te rehireneti o Peretania tuatahi, arā tētahi o ngā Pākehā tuatahi ki Aotearoa a James Busby, he kaihaina ia a Pana-kereao ki te Wakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Niu Tireni 1835, ā, i te taenga mai o Rūtene Kāwana William Hobson ki Kaitāia i te Apereira o 1840, i tautoko hoki a Nopera i a ia.

I te hui i tū i te Apereira o 1840, ko ia te kaikōrero whakamutunga.  I kōrero ia ki tōna iwi mō tōna rangatiratanga, me tana akiaki i a rātou kia whakaae ki a Hobson hei kāwana mā rātou. Kātahi ka puta i a ia tāna tino kōrero: ‘ko tāku ki te kāwana, ko te atakau o te whenua i riro i a te Kuini, ko te tinana o te whenua waiho ki ngā Māori.’ I whakamahia e ia te tairitenga o te kāwana hei kaiurungi mō te kaipuke, arā mō Aotearoa.

I muri i tana kōrero, i tere ētahi atu rangatira ki te whai i tana tauira mā te haina i te Tiriti.

Kotahi tau noa iho i muri i te hainatanga o te Tiriti, i whakaahu a Pana-kareao i te mahi a te kāwana. I whakarāpopotongia e te mihingare CMS Richard Taylor te tirohanga o Pana-kareao: ‘i whakaaro ia ka riro te atakau o te whenua ki a te Kuini, ka waiho te tinana o te whenua ki a rātou, engari ināianei kei te āwangawanga ka riro i a rātou te tinana o te whenua, ka whiwhi noa iho ngā Māori i te atakau.’ I ahu mai te whakaahu o Pana-kareao i ngā tautohetohe ki Te Aupouri me Ngā Puhi mō te hokohoko o te whenua ki ngā Pākeha me ngā Māori, otirā mō te nui o tōna mana. [1]

 

^{Image: Nā te kaha whai wāhi atu o Pana-kareao i ngā mahi a ngā mihingare i te taitokerau, i kī a W. G. Puckey, te mihingare ā-rohe, nāna, nā Pana-kereao ngā rōpū maha i Te Taitokerau i huri ki te hāhi Karaitiana.}

^{[1] Angela Ballara. 'Pana-kareao, Nopera', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 30-Oct-2012}