Who were the Hauhau warriors during the later New Zealand Wars?

The Hauhau were radical members of the Pai Marire religion, a movement founded in 1862 by the Māori prophet Te Ua Haumene in Taranaki, New Zealand.1

The movement emerged from Māori opposition to European land sales and colonization. Te Ua Haumene taught that the Māori were a lost tribe of Israel and that they must reclaim their ancestral lands and preserve their culture from pākehā (European) influence. While the movement’s name, Pai Marire, means "Good and Peaceful," some followers turned to violent resistance against colonial forces.1

The name "Hauhau" originated from the war cry "Pai Marire, hau, hau!"—referring to Te Hau, the spirit of God in the wind—which warriors shouted in battle, believing it would protect them from European bullets. During the later stages of the New Zealand Wars (1864–1872), the term became a common label for various Māori resisters, regardless of their formal association with the Pai Marire religion. By 1868, the Hauhau were joined in their resistance by members of the Ringatū cult, led by the guerrilla leader Te Kooti.12