Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru was an 18th-century MÃÂori rangatira and tohunga of the NgÃÂti Te Rangiita hapà « and ariki (paramount chieftain) of the NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa iwi of the region around Lake Taupà Â, New Zealand. He built three great wharenui (meeting houses) for different sections of NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa. When the Tà «wharetoa chieftain Tutakaroa attacked Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoruâÂÂs allies in NgÃÂti Tahu, he summoned allies from Te Arawa to attack Tutakaroa at Whakaohokau, but had second thoughts about the venture and arranged a peace before Te Arawa could wreak havoc. He sent a force to help Te Uamairangi from the NgÃÂti Te Upokoiri hapà « of NgÃÂti Kahungunu escape to Whakatane after he was defeated in a bid for control of NgÃÂti Kahungunu. In his old age, he negotiated the peace which ended the Tà «hoe-NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa War. After his death, he was eventually succeeded by Herea Te Heuheu Tukino I.
He played an important role in NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa as the model for subsequent paramount chiefs. Te Heuheu II called him âÂÂthe man who understood good and evilâ or âÂÂhad the power of life and death.â John Te Herekiekie Grace reports that âÂÂduring the occupation of Taupo by Ngati Tuwharetoa no other chief equalled him in mana or prestige.â A Waitangi Tribunal report of 2013 judges that he "set the high standard of leadership that would be associated with the role of paramount chief."
Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru was the oldest son of Meremere, the paramount chief of NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa, who died at Lake Rotoiti, during a visit to Te Arawa. Through his father, he was the great-grandson of Tamamutu and a direct descendant of Tà «wharetoa i te Aupà Âuri. Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru made his base at Motutere on the southeastern shore of Lake Taupà Â.
Before Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru became ariki, he had built two great wharenui for different sections of his tribe. The first was called Hautà «-te-rangi and was located at his own village of Motutere. The second was Te Ririkawareware, located at Tokaanu. The carvings of these houses were produced by a famous rangatira, Hopara, with a pounamu chisel called Hauhau-pounamu.
After Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru became ariki, the portion of the tribe living around Lake Rotoaira composed a song calling for the construction of a house for themselves. This song is preserved by John Te Herekiekie Grace and opens, âÂÂAlas! We have as yet no house and I feel a pain throbbing as if to break my heart.â In response, Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru built a large wharenui at Heretoa on the southwest edge of Lake Rotoaira, which was named Haruru-o-te-rangi after the spot on Mount Tongariro where Takaka and Te Ririao, two of the tribeâÂÂs atua reside.
A chieftain called Kereua of NgÃÂti Awa, NgÃÂti Maru, and NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa came from the Bay of Plenty to visit relatives at Tokaanu and Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru at Motutere. On his way home he killed an old NgÃÂti Tahu chieftain at Tapapakuao in revenge for some earlier conflict. When the murder was discovered, Te Rangipatoto a chieftain of NgÃÂti Tahu set out in pursuit, killed Kereua in his sleep by a stream now called Te Wai-o-Kereua (the waters of Kereua, a tributary of the Waikato River near Rotokawa). Then he took his body to Ohaaki, and cooked it in one of the hot springs there, which is known as Umu-o-Kereua (the oven of Kereua) as a result.
Tu-taka-roa of NgÃÂti Te Aho, who was based at Tokaanu, wanted revenge on NgÃÂti Tahu for the murder of Kereua and went to Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru to tell him that he planned to get the help of NgÃÂti Awa in raising a war party to do this. NgÃÂti Tahu were close allies of NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa, so Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru tried to dissuade him, but eventually he gave way, saying âÂÂif you return alive, you shall then take the reward from my armpits!â Then Tutakaroa went to the Bay of Plenty and gathered a war party, being joined by contingents from NgÃÂti Awa and NgÃÂti Maru under the leadership of Tokiwhati and Paraoa. They attacked the NgÃÂti Tahu settlement of Piripekapeka and Tu-taka-roa killed their main chief, Tama-kino, who also had Tà «wharetoa ancestry.
On his return, Tu-taka-roa visited Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru and told him what had happened. On hearing of the death of Tama-kino, Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru declared that he would have to avenge his death. Therefore, Tutakaroa fled to Tokaanu, where he convinced a section of the people to support him and built a fortress with them at Whaka-oho-kau on the west edge of the Tokaanu delta at Waitahanui. As of 1959, some of the palisade posts of this fortress were still visible, although the site was flooded in 1942.
Meanwhile, Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru summoned allies from the Tà «hourangi, NgÃÂti Whakaue, and NgÃÂti Rangitihi iwi of Te Arawa to help avenge Tamakino and they sent a large war party. Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru sent most of his own war party towards Whaka-oho-kau by land, but he himself went by canoe. As he went past the Te Arawa camp he overheard them discussing their plans to devastate Tokaanu, which far exceeded the amount of damage that he wanted to cause. Therefore, he snuck into Whaka-oho-kau and made peace. The next morning, the men of Te Arawa rowed up to Whaka-oho-kau in their canoes to attack and Tu-taka-roa waded out into the water to confront them all on his own. When he realised that his men had not come out with him, he turned and fled, making it back to the fortress. While they were fighting, Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru had negotiated a peace and he came out and announced this as the forces of Te Arawa approached. The Te Arawa forces were furious, but were eventually convinced to accept this peace and leave.
There was a chief called Te Ua-mai-rangi of the NgÃÂti Te Upokoiri hapà « of NgÃÂti Kahungunu who lived at Aorangi in Maraekakaho in HawkeâÂÂs Bay. He had expected to succeed the principal chief of the area, Te Tauwhitu of NgÃÂti Whatuiapiti, but Te Tauwhitu instead brought in an outside candidate as his successor, Tupurupuru. Te Ua-mai-rangi therefore began a conflict between NgÃÂti Te Upokoiri and NgÃÂti Whatuiapiti, which would eventually lead to the destruction of NgÃÂti Te Upokoiri.
Te Uamairangi was a friend of Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru and appealed to him for help in getting from HawkeâÂÂs Bay to Whakatane when the Titiokura Saddle was closed in the midst of this struggle. Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru sent an armed force which escorted Te Uamairangi across the Ruahine Range and onwards to Whakatane.
Shortly after this, Tai-hakoa, a NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa rangatira joined the NgÃÂti Whare hapà « of Te Arawa in a raid on Tà «hoe in Te Urewera and was defeated. His intervention in a conflict that had nothing to do with Tà «wharetoa so angered the rangatira of Tà «hoe that they decided to attack Tà «wharetoa in order to get revenge.
While they were raising their war party, two Tà «hoe tohunga, Te Wharangi and Te Akaurangi, who were related to the NgÃÂti Te Aho hapà « of Tà «wharetoa, travelled to Taupà  and visited Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru at Motutere, warning him that Tà «hoe was going to invade and that he should not participate in the conflict.
Shortly after, the Tà «hoe did invade, capturing four fortresses near PÃÂkàBay. Tà «wharetoa gathered from all over the island to drive the invaders out, but they were defeated at the Battle of Orana and the survivors fled to Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru's village, where Herea made preparations to defend against an attack.
Due to his age, Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru had not participated in the battle, but following the defeat at Orana, he took his canoe to PÃÂkàBay and shouted to the Tà «hoe soldiers to let him speak to Te Purewa. After inquiring as to whether his grandson, Te Hinganui had been killed (he had), he landed and asked to make peace. The Tà «hoe and Tà «wharetoa forces then met at à Âpepe, where they agreed to end the war. The tatau pounamu (greenstone door, i.e. a state of enduring peace) was established by Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru on behalf of Tà «wharetoa, and Te Umuariki and Koroki on behalf of Tà «hoe. Then Tà «hoe returned to Te Urewera, promising never to attack the Taupà  region again.
Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru took no active role in the subsequent Battle of Kohikete, in which NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa defeated NgÃÂti Warahoe with the help of PÃÂhi Tà «kà Ârehu of NgÃÂti Maniapoto. Shortly after this, Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru died. His body lay in state in a small house on Motutaiko Island, with his taiaha, his mats, and a kÃÂkÃÂ-feather cloak across the door, until it was desecrated by a raiding party of NgÃÂti Raukawa and NgÃÂti Maru led by Pataua, Wahine-iti, and Hape in the time of Mananui Te Heuheu Tukino II, who avenged that crime by a devastating attack on the raiding party at Rangatira Point.
Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru's son, Te Rangihirawea, succeeded him as head of NgÃÂti Te Rangiita, but was not considered for the position as paramount chief of Tà «wharetoa. After some struggle, that position was taken by a distant cousin, Herea Te Heuheu Tukino I, whose descendants continue to hold the post.
Te Rangi-tua-mÃÂtotoru had two sons: