A member of the Aitanga‐a‐Mahaki tribe, he was accused in 1865 of complicity with the Pai Marire and its militant offshoot, the Hau‐hau, and was deported to the Chatham Islands. In exile he evolved a variation of Pai Marire ritual and belief, the Ringatu. In 1868 his group escaped, seized a government ship, and returned. Challenged by the military, he attacked the settlement at Poverty Bay, killing some Europeans and many more collaborating Maori. The subsequent pursuit and skirmishing lasted until 1872 when Te Kooti found sanctuary in the “King Country” until pardoned. The Ringatu church survives today.