People involved in the incident- Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata

Te Rauparaha was born in the Kawhia area in Waikato. He was descended from Hoturoa, the captain of the Tainui waka and belonged to the Ngati Toa iwi. Te Rauparaha was regarded as a rangatira not only because of his parents but also because he was a warrior and showed considerable strength and courage on the battlefield. In 1819-1820, Te Rauparaha travelled with others looking for a new home base as Ngati Toa were constantly clashing with Waikato iwi and their home at Kawhia was no longer safe. The tribe moved south to the Taranaki region and lived there on Te Ati Awa land. In 1822, he migrated further south towards the Cook strait as he knew that sailing ships and whaling ships were in this area and that he could trade with them. Ngati Toa fought a battle with the Muaupoko iwi at Kapiti Island and decided to stay there as this would give them a safe place to live. Although he was attacked at Kapiti in 1824- he was able to defeat the attackers. This victory established Ngati Toa as the dominant tribe in the south of the North Island. By 1827, Te Rauparaha was trading flax with sailing ships for muskets, tobacco and gun powder. He also wanted control over the supply of greenstone and developed a plan to attack iwi living in the South Island. In 1827, he attacked different iwi at Kaikoura, Queen Charlotte sound and Pelorus Sound. He then attacked Ngai Tahu at Kaiapoi. In 1830, he attacked Ngai Tahu again at Akaroa. By the mid 1830’s he had conquered most of the south west of the North Island and the top of the South Island.

On 16 October 1839 Captain William Wakefield stopped at Kapiti Island in the sailing ship the Tory. He wanted to buy land in the Nelson region. Te Rauparaha was paid with guns, blankets and other goods for a large piece of land. Later on, Te Rauparaha insisted that he had just sold Whakatu (Nelson) and Te Taitapu (in Golden Bay). In 1840, with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi- all land sales were declared void (or non-existent). Te Rauparaha was one of the chiefs to sign the Treaty in 1840 (He actually signed it twice). Te Rauparaha believed that the Treaty would allow him to keep the land he had gained by conquest in the last 18 years. There followed disputes about land sales in Wellington and the Hutt Valley. And then came the dispute at Tuamarina- the Wairau Incident. 

Te Rangihaeata was Te Rauparaha's nephew- his elder sister's son.  Te Rangihaeata joined his uncle in many of his battles with other iwi and also accompanied him when Ngati Toa left Kawhia to find a safer place to live in the South. When they moved to Kapiti island near Wellington he took an active part in fighting other iwi in the area. In the 1830's he lived on Mana Island but visited Kapiti island often. He had gardens on the mainland and traded with whaling ships for muskets, tobacco and alcohol. He was regarded as being 'ferocious' by the people who traded with him. On 19 June 1840, Te Rangihaeata signed the Treaty of Waitangi on board the ship- the Herald. From 1840 onwards Te Rangihaeata became more bitter about the pressure to sell land to European settlers and felt angry about some of the deals that were supposed to have been made.
His wife, Te Rongo was killed at Tuamarina in the Wairau Incident and he demanded that the nine prisoners be killed to avenge her death. There were demands for his arrest and execution but as it was seen as the settlers being in the wrong- he escaped any punishment.
He died on 18 November, 1855. He was believed to be aged in his early 70's.