Battle of Moremonui | |||||||
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Part of the Musket Wars | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Ngāpuhi |
Ngāti Whātua Te Roroa | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Pokaia † |
Murupaenga Tāoho Tuwhare | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Total: 500 toa (warriors)[1]
| Total: Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Total: 150-300 | Total: Unknown but probably minor |
The battle of Moremonui (Māori: Te Haenga o te One, lit. 'The Marking of the Sand', or Te Kai-a-te-Karoro, lit. 'The Seagulls' Feast'[2]) was fought between Ngāti Whātua and Ngāpuhi, two Māori iwi (tribes), in northern New Zealand in either 1807 or 1808. The Ngāpuhi force had a few muskets, making this the first occasion Māori used muskets in warfare. The Ngāti Whātua force ambushed the Ngāpuhi, and won the battle, which occurred at Moremonui Gully where it enters Ripiro Beach, 19 kilometres (12 miles) south of Maunganui Bluff on the west coast of Northland. It could reasonably be called the first battle of the Musket Wars among Māori, which took place over the next few decades.