Work / monument · song

Ka Mate

around 1820 · 19th century

"Ka Mate" is a Māori haka composed by Te Rauparaha, the leader of the iwi (tribe) of Ngāti Toa of the North Island of New Zealand during the Musket Wars. Around 1820, pursued by enemies of Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato, he hid on Motuopihi Island in Lake Rotoaira inside a kūmara (sweet potato) storage pit, while a woman named Rangikoaea sat astride the pit to hide and protect him.

Songs in history

Ka Mate1820

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ka Mate. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ka-mate
MLA
“Ka Mate.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ka-mate. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ka Mate.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ka-mate.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ka Mate’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ka-mate (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻