If he had thought about it, Governor Bowen might have described Katene [Tuwhakaruru] as the Maori Alcibiades. The son of Korere of Ngaruahine and Pinuia of Ngati Awa, he was taken prisoner by Waikato in the early 1830s. Until October 1866, he was a leading Ngaruahine warrior, eventually accumulating eight bullet wounds and a great reputation as a war leader, master of bushcraft, and 'a real fire-eater'. Then, after McDonnell attacked Pungarehu in October 1866, he suddenly turned his coat, explaining the action as follows: 'I have tried to do my best for the tribe. When I lead them into the fight they do not back me up; and when I told them that Pungarehu would one day be surprised, they laughed at me, and now these men are dead. I am sick of the whole thing. I shall stay with the Pakeha.' He then became chief guide to the colonial forces. Immensely active, an excellent shot and horseman, he has a wry wit and real military knowledge. Booth does not like him, but McDonnell, whose distrust of the Maori is otherwise universal, has great faith in his advice and believes that as a scout he 'could not be excelled'. But Katene is a man in two minds. As the conversation draws to its close, Katene asks Gudgeon: 'Do you trust me?' Gudgeon replies that he does and Katene says, 'You are right and you are wrong; you are right to trust me now, for I mean you well, but never trust a Maori. Some day I may remember that I have lost my land, and that the power and influence of my tribe has departed, and that you are the cause; at that moment I shall be your enemy; do not forget what I say.'
james belich, i shall not die (the year of the daughters, p. 44-5)