Piahana Hou: a Ngati Rahiri rangatira

Abstract

Piahana Hou, as the half-brother of Karauna Hou, had an illustrious ancestry, but to Pakeha he was known as, briefly, the skipper of a river steamer and, for most of his life, as a labourer. His interests in several blocks of land enabled him to obtain money through selling some of his holdings, but he never became prosperous. He had minimal involvement in mining at Te Aroha. Piahana came to prominence not as a rangatira but as a drunk, who was even involved in a bar fight at Te Aroha. Despite this weakness, his high status meant that hundreds attended his splendid tangi. Unlike some other rangatira, he did not use his status to play an important role in either Maori or Pakeha society.