Living Heritage - Central School, New Plymouth
Koru Pa Fight
Koru Pa Fight
Between the years of 1800-1805 the hapu of Puke-tapu and Rewa-rewa combined to make an army 800-1000 men strong. They then attacked the previously unbeaten Koru Pa Hapu. During this fight, Tu Makuru (one of the chiefs) speared two Te Atiawa men with his tao (double pointed spear) with a right/left thrust. He then escaped unharmed while the other chief, Mona, died protecting his pa. Unfortunately for the Koru people, the combined hapu were too large to fight and Koru lost.
At the traditional feast (where the winners would eat the losers) the Rewa-rewa started boasting that because most of them were chiefs, they had fought harder than the Puke-tapu Hapu. The Puke-tapu people became very unsettled at this remark because they had fought just as hard as them.
The Taranaki Iwi, who had grieved over the loss of their Koru friends, gathered an army and attacked the Rewa-rewa people. The Rewa-rewa Hapu begged their former friends (the Puke-tapu Hapu) to help them fight. The Puke-tapu were still insulted by the Rewa-rewa’s comment and refused to come to their aid. The Taranaki Iwi got their revenge as they were victorious over the arrogant Rewa-rewa.
