No. 38 Rewi Maniapoto

Rewi Maniapoto was a Māori leader and warrior from New Zealand. He was born in 1807 in Waipa, which is located in the North Island of New Zealand. Maniapoto was known for his leadership during the New Zealand Wars, a series of conflicts between the Māori people and British colonizers in the mid-19th century. He played a significant role in the defense of the Waikato region, which was a stronghold for the Māori during the wars. Maniapoto was a key figure in the establishment of the King Movement, which aimed to unite Māori tribes under a single leader and resist British colonization. He was also a signatory of the Treaty of Waitangi, an agreement between the British Crown and Māori chiefs that was signed in 1840. Despite the conflict and tensions during the New Zealand Wars, Maniapoto was respected by both Māori and Pākehā (non-Māori New Zealanders) for his leadership and mana (prestige). He died in 1894, but his legacy as a Māori leader and defender of his people's rights and autonomy lives on.