Kaiuku (MÃÂori for "eat clay") was a siege fought, probably in 1828, at à Âkà «rÃÂrenga on MÃÂhia Peninsula, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, as part of the Musket Wars. A coalition of NgÃÂti Maru, NgÃÂti Raukawa, NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa, Te Arawa, and Waikato invaded the Hawke's Bay region and besieged NgÃÂti Kahungunu and NgÃÂpuhi at à Âkà «rÃÂrenga. The defenders were reduced to eating clay, hence the name Kaiuku, but eventually the attackers broke the siege and departed.
The attacking army, numbered over a thousand men, possibly the largest single force assembled by the MÃÂori up to that time. The name given to the coalition forces, Te Hokowhitu a Tà « ("army of the war god") was subsequently popularised for other armies and eventually became the MÃÂori name of the MÃÂori Battalion.
In the early 19th century, northern MÃÂori began to acquire European muskets from traders, leading to more intense and wide-ranging warfare than previously. In particular, Hongi Hika of NgÃÂpuhi led raids across the North Island. In turn, other tribes migrated and led raids elsewhere. In Hawke's Bay, NgÃÂti Kahungunu were attacked by sea by NgÃÂpuhi, from the north by NgÃÂti Porou and from the west by NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa and NgÃÂti Raukawa.
In 1823, Te Whareumu of NgÃÂti Kahungunu convinced Te Wera Hauraki of NgÃÂpuhi to settle on the MÃÂhia Peninsula in order to defend them from these attacks. Te Whareumu and Te Wera made common cause with another local chief, Te Pareihe of NgÃÂti Te WhatuiÃÂpiti. Together, they resisted a number of raids.
In the late 1820s, Te Pà Âtae-aute of NgÃÂti Porou wanted to launch a war party against NgÃÂti Kahungunu in the HawkeâÂÂs Bay. He sought aid from TÃÂraia NgÃÂkuti Te Tumuhuia of NgÃÂti Maru, Paiaka of Waikato, Mananui Te Heuheu of NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa, and Te Whatanui and PÃÂhi Turoa of NgÃÂti Raukawa (now based in Manawatu). These groups all agreed to participate for different reasons.
NgÃÂti Maru and Te Arawa wanted to avenge defeats that they had suffered at the hands of NgÃÂpuhi at Te Totara in 1821 and at Mokoia in 1823, respectively, by attacking Te Wera Hauraki, who was the last survivor of the three great NgÃÂpuhi generals of the early 1820s and was now based at MÃÂhia peninsula in HawkeâÂÂs Bay. NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa wanted revenge for the defeat they had suffered at Te Whiti-o-Tà « during an invasion of Hawke's Bay some years previously and NgÃÂti Raukawa for the death of Te Momo-a-Irawaru during an invasion in 1827.
Therefore in 1828, war parties from all these tribes converged on HawkeâÂÂs Bay. Te Heuheu led men from the Ngati Turumakina, Ngati Hukere, and Ngati Hinewai hapu over the Ruahine Range to the Ruataniwha Plains. Te Mokonuiarangi led the Arawa force over the Titiokura pass. When these two forces united, they attacked the NgÃÂti Kahungunu pàTe Koha and then continued towards Te MÃÂhia. At the Wairoa river, Te Heuheu wanted to fire off all the muskets in order to announce their presence to the other attacking contingents, but his brother Iwikau refused to allow him to do this as it would have cost them the element of surprise. When all the contingents had united, the force exceeded a thousand men and Te Heuheu assumed overall command.
As they crossed the Wairoa river, they encountered and defeated a force of Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngai Tahupo, and Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, which was coming down from the East Cape. During the fighting, NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa captured the chief Te Heketua-o-te-rangi and his daughter. Te Whatanui wanted to kill these prisoners, but Te Heuheu said that he would not allow anyone captured by his hand to be killed âÂÂfor it is a tapu hand.â Te Heketua-o-te-rangi was allowed to leave and subsequently returned and gifted a greenstone patu called Te Kaoreore to Te Whatanui, a tiki to Te Kapu, another patu and several mats to Te Heuheu, and six slaves.
Finally, the war party arrived at Te MÃÂhia, where they found Te Pareihe at à Âkà «rÃÂrenga, a very strong pÃÂ, but with very limited food stocks. When the defenders would not come down to fight, Te Heuheu accused them of behaving like a ruru owl perched in the tawhiwhi, but they shouted back that he was a âÂÂgrey-headed old manâ and ought to go home. Te Kani-a-Takirau of Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, as well as Rongowhakaata came south to relieve à Âkà «rÃÂrenga, but were defeated.
The siege dragged on for two months and the defenders inside à Âkà «rÃÂrenga became so short on food that they ate all of their slaves and then they were reduced to eating the leftover foodwaste, mixed with clay to conceal the taste. Grace reports a rumour that the defenders even ate their children. As a result the pàwas renamed Kaiuku ("eating clay").
Waikato proposed to Te Heuheu that the besiegers should pretend to make peace and then massacre the defenders as they came out of the fortress. Te Heuheu refused to allow this; he did not wish to see his relative Te Pareihe âÂÂstruck down like a slave.â Seeking that the other contingents planned a general massacre, Te Heuheu abandoned the siege and returned to Taupà Â, declaring to Te Pareihe, âÂÂI leave behind the thunder of my footsteps for you to hear.â Possibly, Te Heuheu also took his decision because he had been warned in a dream by the atua Rongomai that Taupà  was about to be attacked by NgÃÂpuhi and Waikato. Toiroa of NgÃÂti Rongomaiwahine met with Te HeuheuâÂÂs daughter Te Rohu and his sister-in-law Pikihuia at Whakarewa to negotiate a peace with NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa.
Shortly after this, Te Amohau, nephew of the Te Arawa leader, Te Mokonuiarangi, was killed by the defenders. The killer Te Hikiko agreed to hand over the body and, after this was done, the Te Arawa force departed as well. According to Takaanui Tarakawa, Te Hikiko's nephew, this was the decisive moment in the siege.
The remaining Waikato and NgÃÂti Maru attackers eventually determined that the defenders' suffering had been sufficient and departed as well, ending the siege.
The siege is mentioned briefly by Takaanui Tarakawa, drawing on the account of his father Te Ipututu Tarakawa, who was one of Te Wera's warriors. John Te Herekiekie Grace recounts the NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa tradition.
Percy Smith tells the same anecdote about a pÃÂ being renamed Kaiuku, but all other details are different. He places it at Pukekaroro (also on the MÃÂhia peninsula) in August 1824, as part of Te Mautaranui's war against Ranga-ika of NgÃÂti Kahungunu.