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I’m reminded of the Nga Puhi chief Hongi Hiki.

He and his war party made their way down the coast, killing and eating as they went, then spent 2 months hauling canoes up the Kaituna River to Lake Rotoiti, where they captured the local tohunga.
He was bought before the said Hongi Hika, who proceeded to lop the top of his head off and eat the brains of said tohunga.
The purpose was to gain the tohunga’s wisdom and enhance his mana.
They then proceed to attack Rotorua, killing many of the Te Arawa who gathered around the hot pools, etc.
They then canoed out to Mokoia Island and boiled the remaining live captures in the hot pools and fed up large.

That’s why Te Arawa will never sleep with Nga Puhi, even though there is a lot of Nga Puhi in the area. They are despised by Te Arawa. They didn’t want to sign the treaty bec
ause Hongi Hika by then had sided with the poms. Same for Tuhoe.
They keep to their own areas in Rotorua as well.

Here is a sanitised version.
Hongi Hika’s name is linked to Rotorua because of his 1823 invasion to avenge past wrongs against his Ngāpuhi people by Te Arawa. The attack was a major event in the Musket Wars, notable for Hongi’s forces hauling their war canoes over land to Lake Rotorua, which allowed them to launch a surprise attack on the Arawa people on Mokoia Island. The route is now known as Hongi’s Track. 

• The invasion: In 1823, Hongi Hika led a large Ngāpuhi force to Rotorua to seek revenge for the death of his kinsmen.
• The journey: The Ngāpuhi travelled down the coast, then carried their canoes overland through what is now known as Hongi’s Track, a difficult portage from the Rotoiti/Rotoehu area to Lake Rotorua.
• The attack: The force then attacked the Te Arawa people who were living on Mokoia Island.
• The legacy: The invasion was a significant event, remembered as one of the most daring assaults of the Musket Wars. The route the warriors took is now called Hongi’s Track. 

Here is what history records..
Historical accounts primarily document large-scale attacks by Ngāpuhi on Te Arawa in the Rotorua area, not the other way around. There are no traditions indicating that Te Arawa launched major military expeditions far north into the heart of Ngāpuhi territory. 

During the Musket Wars of the early 19th century, the power imbalance created by early European contact meant northern tribes like Ngāpuhi were the first to acquire large numbers of firearms. This allowed them to conduct extensive, devastating raids (taua) far south of their traditional boundaries. 

Key aspects of the conflict:

• Ngāpuhi Invasions: Ngāpuhi leader Hongi Hika led a large, musket-armed force that attacked and defeated Te Arawa on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua in 1823. This assault was for utu (revenge) for past grievances.
• Te Arawa Response: Te Arawa, initially lacking muskets, were largely on the defensive during this period and suffered heavy losses. They were demoralised by their inability to counter the firearms and some even considered migrating south.
• Territorial Reach: Ngāpuhi war parties ranged across much of the North Island, reaching as far as the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay, and even Wellington. In contrast, historical sources mention Te Arawa venturing north and east from the Volcanic Plateau region, but not the far Northland areas that are Ngāpuhi’s traditional rohe (territory). 

Its no wonder most of his descendants are fucking mad.