Nōpera Panakareao

Nōpera Panakareao (? – 13 April 1856) was a New Zealand tribal leader, evangelist and assessor. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Te Rarawa iwi.^[1]

Nōpera lived at Kaitaia. He became a friend of William Gilbert Puckey, the son of William Puckey, who worked with Joseph Matthews to establish the Church Missionary Society mission station at Kaitaia in 1833.^[2] He was called Noble Pana-kareao by the missionaries, who held him in high regard.^[3]

Nōpera signed the Treaty of Waitangi. He stated his understanding of the Treaty as, "Ko te atarau o te whenua i riro i a te kuini, ko te tinana o te whenua i waiho ki ngā Māori", meaning; "The shadow of the land will go to the Queen [of England], but the substance of the land will remain with us". Nōpera later reversed his earlier statement – feeling that the substance of the land had indeed gone to the Queen; only the shadow remained for the Māori.^[4] His wife Ereonora also signed the treaty beside his name.^[5]

During the Flagstaff War (1845–46) he supported Tamati Waka Nene and his brother Eruera Maihi Patuone in opposing Hōne Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti.^[6]

Nopera Pana-kareao participated in the Battle of Ruapekapeka together with Tāmati Wāka Nene, Eruera Maihi Patuone, Tawhai, Repa and about 450 warriors.^[7]

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