He was born at Whareponga the son of Henare Nihoniho and Heeni Nohowaka who were both from the Te Aowera hapu of Ngāti Porou. In 1860 he started hi schooling at Bishop Williams’ mission school at Wwerenga-a-hika, Poverty Bay, and a year later his fathher also attended the school in his training to be an Anglican minister. Nihoniho served as an officer in the Ngāti Porou Native Contingent. Augustus Hamilton writes that Major Ropata Wahawaha and Nihoniho were presented swords of honour by Queen Victoria for their services in the Native Contingent and when Nihoniho entrusted his sword to the Dominion Museum for safekeeping ‘he was asked to write some account of the numerous actions wherein histribe took such a prominent part, and by whose aid the harassed settlers on the East Coast were enabled to dwell in peace and security. The MSS handed in by the old chief comprised not only a very interesting narrative of many actions fought and hardships endured, but also a very good mixture of exceedingly good advice to young soldiers and explanations of cusious Native beliefs in divers omens.’ In 1897 Nihoniho was appointed to command the Māori Contingent of New Zealand at Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee but ill-health precluded him from attending. In 1899 at the time of the Boer War Nihoniho made a request of Parliament through East Coast MP Wi Pere, to notify the English Government that ‘the services of Tuta Nihoniho and five hundred Native troops of comrades in arms for the English troops on the field of war, as a spectacle for other nations.’ He married Mereana Tairua and they fostered many children. Nihoniho later worked as a storekeeper in Whangaparaoa and had part share of a hotel at Makarika. Nihoniho was a chief of the Hikurangi sub-tribes.
Biographical sources
- Nihoniho, Tuta. Narrative of the Fighting on the East Coast (Nga Pakanga Ki Te Tai Rawhiti) 1865-71, with a Monograph on Bush Fighting (Me Nga Korero mo Uenuku). Wellington, N.Z.: Published by Direction of the Hon. Minister for Native Affairs by the Dominion Museum, 1913. 28, 45.
- Souvenir of the Ngarimu Victoria Cross Investiture Meeting: And Reception to His Excellency the Governor General Sir Cyril Newall. Whakarua Park, Ruatoria, East Coast, 6 October 1943. Auckland, N.Z.: Whitcombe & Tombs, 1943. 23.
- Oliver, Steven. “Nihoniho, Matutaera 1850- 1914.” The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Vol. 1. 1769-1869. Wellington, N.Z.: Allen & Unwin
- Dept. of Internal Affairs, 1990. 318-319.
Non-fiction
- Narrative of the Fighting on the East Coast (Nga Pakanga Ki Te Tai Rawhiti) 1865-71, with a Monograph on Bush Fighting (Me Nga Korero mo Uenuku). Wellington, N.Z.: Published by Direction of the Hon. Minister for Native Affairs by the Dominion Museum, 1913.
- In this text in Māori accompanied by an English translation by A. Hamilton, Nihoniho provides a history of the Te Ao-wera hapu noting its battle against the Hauhau from 1865-1870, fighting after Te Kooti’s escape from the Chathams, and guarding Kereopa as he was taken to Napier. Nihoniho writes of Te Ao-wera’s key warriors including his onw mother Heeni Noho-waka who participated in many expeditions. At the conclusion of the book is a separate paper by Nihoniho entitled "Uenuku, or Kahukura (The Rainbow God of War): Being Advice To Young Soldiers When Going Into Action."
- "Uenuku, or Kahukura (The Rainibos God of War): Being Advice To Young Soldiers When Going Into Action. (Part 1)." Māori text by Nihoniho with English trans. and notes by Augustus Hamilton. Narrative of the Fighting on the East Coast (Nga Pakanga Ki Te Tai Rawhiti) 1865-71, with a Monograph on Bush Fighting (Me Nga Korero mo Uenuku). Wellington, N.Z.: Published by Direction of the Hon. Minister for Native Affairs by the Dominion Museum, John Mackay, Govt. Printer, 1913. 47-49. Rpt. in Te Ao Hou 26 (1959): 50-53.
- In this guide for young soldiers going into battle, Nihoniho gives instruction on how to recognise and counteract omens fortelling success or failure in battle. These omens include making errors in the performance of the war dance, flashes of lightning, the sound of thunder, and involuntary twitchings or convulsions of the body.
- "Uenuku or Kahukura (The Rainbow God of War): Being Advice to Young Soldiers When Going Into Action. (Part 2)." Māori text by Nihoniho with English Trans. and notes by Augustus Hamilton. Narrative of the Fighting on the East Coast (Nga Pakanga ki Te Tai Rawhiti) 1865-71, with a Monograph on Bush Fighting (Me Nga Korero Mo Uenuku). Wellington, N.Z.: Published by the Direction of the Hon. Minister for Native Affairs by the Dominion Museum, 1913. 50-58. Rpt. in Te Ao Hou 27 (1959): 64-67.
- In this second part of Nihoniho’s article he warns young warriors to guard their behaviour before departing into battle and gives detailed instructions on how to march into battle. He provides a lengthy discourse on how to avoid bullets and the importance of watching the direction of prevailing winds when aiming guns at the enemy. Nihoniho states that women have a place in warfare and that ‘a woman’s voice is one that has much power, and commands much sympathy in time of battle. For if a woman assumes the function of uttering the war cries and calls to action, then the enemy will not be able to resist the charge, as it was a woman who gave the word of command to attack…’. He also notes the importance of women in peace-making: ‘if a peace is concluded in time of war by men, it will not be a firm or lasting lone. It is termed a male peace, and stands for treachery, deceit, trouble. But if women assume the function of making peace, that is known as a female peace, and it will be a firm, durable one.’
Other
- Te Waka Māori O Niu Tirani 12.19 (Oketopa 5, 1875): 218.
- A short editorial note states ‘Tuta Nihoniho, of Whareponga, East Coast, sends us a traditional account of the children of Rangi and Papa (Heaven and Earth), and their descendants. It differs considerably from that given in Sir George Grey’s "Polynesian Mythology".’ Nihoniho also sent proverbs to Te Waka, which are acknowledged in this same edition [p. 219].
Other
- Oliver, Steven. "Nihoniho, Matutaera 1850-1914." The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ed. W. H. Oliver. Vol. 1. 1769-1869. Wellington, N.Z.: Allen & Unwin; Dept. of Internal Affairs, 1990. 318-319.
- Taylor, C. R. H. A Bibliography of Publications on the New Zealand Māori and the Moriori of the Chatham Islands. Oxford: Clarendon, Oxford UP, 1972. 97.